Dressed in a white coat with a dozen stains of different coloured sauces, standing by the flame of the stove in her three BHK apartment in Goregaon, Mumbai, Kunchita Lavaniya greets us with a heart- warming smile. The smile has a lot to say it is full of energy and enthusiasm, something that was lacking in her for the past few years. Adding spaghetti to the red sauce Lavaniya discloses the reason for the happiness. “Going ahead with the right career option changed my life for good. The Industry is changing and so are the job prospects in India. All colleges are setting a benchmark which seems more like a dream for students like me with scores ranging in mid 80s. I always had my inclination towards arts, but I was clueless about the career path I should go ahead with. I was really tensed and thus during the admission season, I spent all my time in the kitchen, cooking! The thrill of trying a new dish, the aroma of the food, the element of creativity and the happiness on the face of my family while eating it, my only source of busting the stress out my life! One day while trying out a risotto, it struck me! Cooking is my passion and I must pursue a career in it. After researching for a while, I zeroed down to Hotel Management. I am currently in my second year and this has been the best decision I have ever made in my life. I found the student in me which had been lost somewhere between numbers, theories and chemical reactions. I now feel going ahead with your passion is the best way to shape up a bright future for yourself”, shares Kunchita Lavaniya, a student of Hotel Management, Institute of Technology Management, Mumbai.
The hospitality and tourism sector of India is booming right now, it is the largest service industry in India. It is also the key growth driver and a significant source of foreign exchange earnings. Investing your career in this segment will only lead to a flourishing future for yourself. It is a very wide industry, which includes Government tourism departments, Immigration and customs services, travel agencies, airlines, tour operators, hotels etc and many other associated service industries such as airline catering or laundry services, Guides, Interpreters, Tourism promotion and sales etc. According to statistics available with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), revenues gained from domestic tourism rose by 5.1 per cent in 2013 and is expected to increase by 8.2 per cent this year. The increase in the foreign tourist arrivals (FTA) has opened up a lot of opportunities for students wishing to go ahead with a career in this segment.
There is a substantial increase in the number of lodging facilities, the travel connectivity to and within India and the overall services in this sector. This in- turn is leading to burgeoning job opportunities in the hospitality and tourism sector. While all sectors within this segment are witnessing a rapid growth, given below is a list of the top favourite careers in terms of job availability in the market today.
1. Hotel Management
There are multiple job profiles in this segment. The students can make their pick in accordance with their interest areas. A student can opt for an undergraduate or a post graduate course in hotel management. On the completion of the course the students are eligible to work under a number of profiles such as Administrative Manager, Food and Beverage Manager, Hospitality Law, Hospitality Marketing and Sales, Accommodation and Leisure Management and many more options.
Courses:
BHM - Bachelor of Hotel Management
DHM - Diploma in Hotel Management
BHMCT - Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology
DHMCT - Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology
PGDHM - Post Graduate Diploma in Hotel Management
Bachelor of Arts in International Hospitality Studies
2. Chefs
If your idea of satisfaction is plating a new exquisite dish and to see others relishing your new creation, then a chef is what you deserve to be. It takes a great skill set to master the art of professional cooking and become proficient in all aspects of food preparation. While a course in Hotel Management helps you attain some level of proficiency, it is better to opt for courses which specialize in turning raw kitchen talent into that of a professional chef. There are a number of courses available today for our chefs in the making:
Courses:
Three Years Bachelor’s Degree in Catering Technology & Culinary Arts
Postgraduate Diploma in Culinary Arts
Certification Course in Food Production
Hotel Management Courses
3. Bartender
Bottle flipping and juggling glasses are the highlights of the new trending career option amongst the youth. "Bartending till recently was looked down as a career choice. But with the pub and cocktail culture picking up, bartenders are in demand and it is picking up as a career among the youth," said Sandeep Verma, who runs a training institute for bartenders, in an interview with a reputed news agency website. Students can now opt from a number of courses that have been made available to them.
Courses:
Diploma in Bar Management and Diploma in Hotel Management & Catering
Diploma in Bar Management
Diploma in Bar Management
Certification Course in Wines & Spirits (Inclusive of Barflairing & Bar Tricks)
Certification Course in Bar flair
Diploma in Bar Management & Culinary Arts
4. Event Managers
With the Indian weddings getting bigger and turning fatter, a career in event management is a very lucrative option today. The surging event section of the society has found its way from being a seasonal business option to marking its presence the entire calendar year. It started from weddings but has now spread to baby showers, birthday parties, themed parties, corporate events and a lot more. Initially taught as a part of a few courses, it has now emerged as a full- fledged course.
Courses:
Diploma in Event Management
Graduate Diploma in Event Management
Diploma in Media, Marketing and Events
Post Graduate Diploma in Media, Marketing and Events
BBA in Event Management and PR
MBA in Event Management and PR
5. Adventure Travel Guides
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara highlighted the career option of an adventure travel guide, the role played by Katrina Kaif in the movie. The job of an adventure guide is the dream job of many. They organize and lead trip to exotic locations across the globe. They make sure that all the travel arrangement, lodging and dinning reservations and visas of the travellers are in place. They educate, coach and train the individuals adhering to all the safety rules over activities like mountain biking, hiking, skiing, under- water diving and every other adventure activity that is present on your bucket list. The profession requires risk and hence proper training is required for this.
Courses:
There are no specific courses per say, but the travel and adventure units offer help in training and issue certificates to the individuals who are eligible to become an adventure travel guide.
6. Food Stylist
It is said that you eat with your eyes, a beautiful dish will always sell itself no matter how the taste is. You don’t judge a book by its cover but you surely judge a dish by the way it looks. Shubhangi Dhaimade, Indranie Dasgupta and Madhu Menon are few of the big names in this segment. It is these big names in the industry that are leading to the popularity of food styling as a profession which is relatively a new career option. Usually these stylists are also food photographers, but you can choose to be either depending on your interest. Food styling is an element of design, a food stylist makes sure that irrespective of the taste the dish should look ravishing and exotic sitting on a plate. They also arrange for props to go with the dish so that a photographer captures an entire story and not just the dish.
Courses:
There are a few short term courses available in a few institutes, but Hotel Management students are the ones that usually pursue a career in food styling. This is a profession which is more about passion that your degree.
India is projected to be number one for growth globally in the wellness tourism sector in the next five years, clocking over 20 per cent gains annually through 2022, according to a study conducted by SRI International. The advancement of this sector is sure to bring about a lot of development in the employment sector. Other than the careers mentioned above, there are a number of careers in which people can seek jobs. For those who don’t have an educational backing the job profiles of waiters/ waitresses, concierge and potter, hotel service agent and a lot many options available today will witness and increase in numbers. The projected progress of the hospitality and tourism sector is sure to open doors for new employment opportunities in India.