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Looking for a Better Hospitality Career? You Can Have It, Maid

By Gina Pogol
Learning & Life Columnist

Whether it involves changing sheets in a hotel or scrubbing toilets in a commercial building, maids and housekeepers don't make much money. Median annual earnings in the industry are $18,790--and the lowest-paid maids earn a paltry $12,530 a year. Promotion opportunities are extremely limited, and many jobs are only part-time or temporary, resulting in little job security. The work may involve exposure to heavy-duty cleaners, and it can also be quite physical--maids' duties may become more difficult and uncomfortable as they age.

Thanks for the Hospitality

A little education can help maids--and anyone else, for that matter--transition into jobs that pay more, offer more stability, and better working conditions. A degree or certificate in hospitality management can qualify you for supervisory jobs in hotels, restaurants, resorts and more. Other opportunities include self-employment as a travel agent or caterer.

A management career in the hospitality industry requires a keen understanding of a region's market and economics, including capital budgeting, ongoing staffing and overhead costs, as well as good organizational skills. Recreational areas, hotels, spas, and meeting venues live or die by their customer service, value for their offerings, and their sense of their target market's needs.

A hospitality degree typically includes coursework in marketing, finance, staffing and human resources, and hospitality law, although the real-world nature of this industry usually demands analysis of real-world cases. Many programs, even online programs, include classroom discussions that incorporate students' real-life experiences in the hospitality industry. So no matter where you've started, you can end up on a great career path in this dynamic field.

Sources:

• AlterNet Rights and Liberties, "The Ten Worst Jobs in America"
• The Wall Street Journal, "We Ask: What are Some of the Best and Worst Jobs?"
• US Department of Labor, "Leisure and hospitality"

About the Author
Gina Pogol has a terrific job as a writer and editor for an online media company. After working at several horrible jobs, she earned an associate's degree in Computer Programming, a certificate in Paralegal Studies, and a BS in Financial Management.

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