Careers in Hospitality & Tourism Review

Monday, January 8, 2018 7:05:01 PM
“This book contains 25 chapters describing jobs falling under the general umbrella of hospitality and tourism. It includes standard jobs such as desk clerk and waitress, but also describes less obvious careers in the field, such as physical trainer, florist, groundskeeper, interior designer, and pilot. It is designed for high school students and college undergraduates who seek information about careers in this industry. It aligns with curricular standards for those groups. Some of the information has been gathered from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The editor’s introduction includes an overview of the industry, its elements, a brief hotel and restaurant history, and general employment and business trends.

Chapters are arranged alphabetically by job title. Each chapter begins with a bullet point list indicating the career cluster to which the job belongs, interests of people who work in the job, yearly average earnings, and the employment outlook for the job. This section is followed by a more detailed description of what the job is, the work environment, the personality traits required for the job, and job duties and responsibilities. Included in this section is an inset “profile” listing working conditions, physical strength needed, education needed, licensure/certification needed, physical abilities not required, opportunities for experience, and the Holland Interest Score. A table of duties and responsibilities completes this section. Occupational subcategories are listed in the next section, followed by a section describing the physical, human, and technological work environment. Another inset summarizes relevant skills and abilities.

Education, training, and advancement are described for secondary school, college, and adult job seekers, including any licensure/certification or other requirements for the job. This section also contains a “Famous First” relating to this job title. Earnings and advancement information are detailed, with a chart for average earnings in metropolitan areas with the highest employment level for the specific occupation. This is followed with a brief section on employment trends and projected growth for the occupation. A two-page interview with someone who has worked in the occupation completes this section. A short list of colleges/universities with programs in the field and a list of organizations where more information is available complete the chapter. A guide to the Holland Code of job interests is available in an appendix. The volume is completed by a bibliography and a subject index.

Overall, this book will be helpful to students and adults deciding on a career path. It supplies a good overview of the work done in each job.”