Looking for an industry with solid growth potential? The hospitality sector is one of America’s largest employers. In fact, it ranks as one of the top ten largest industries in 49 states plus the District of Columbia. The industry includes a number of interrelated businesses – hotels, airlines, restaurants, gaming, cruise lines, car rental firms, travel agents, and tour operators, among others.

According to CareerBuilder.com, hospitality jobs are “growing exponentially,” and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has stated that 12.4 million people work in the hospitality industry today, comprising about 8.6% of all employment.

Job seekers who possess a true passion to provide clients with exemplary customer service can find fulfilling careers in the hospitality field. In addition to customer facing jobs, there are also slots to fill in human resources, IT, accounting, and office management—in short, there’s a panoply of jobs waiting to be filled.

In this feature, four hospitality employees share their career insight and tips for standing out in this competitive industry.

JW MARRIOTT—EMBRACING A FLAIR FOR THE INTERNATIONAL
“Igrew up in Asia in Taipei, Taiwan, and attended an International School. That’s how I knew I wanted to get involved in the hospitality industry,” recalls Debbie Shapiro, in-room dining manager, JW Marriott Chicago. “My best friend’s father was a hotelier in Singapore and Taiwan, so ever since I was young, I was surrounded by people who lived an international lifestyle. I came to the United States in 1993, and attended college at University of Illinois—Champaign where I earned my bachelor’s degree in elementary education. I then went on to earn my hospitality degree at Roosevelt University.”

When it came to hotels, Shapiro always knew about the Ritz Carlton brand, but the JW Marriot brand wasn’t initially familiar to her. “Originally, I didn’t know much about the JW brand, but I was instantly drawn to it. I love what the JW Marriott stands for, and that it’s a luxury property with a welcoming and all-inviting atmosphere. The JW Marriott Chicago does an outstanding job at exuding a sense of comfort and approachable luxury, and I was really drawn to that aspect.”

Shapiro has worked at the JW Marriott Chicago for almost three years and currently supervises the in-room dining and the minibar department; she previously supervised the lobby lounge and bar operations. “I train staff and assist in meeting the standards of the JW Marriott brand. It’s important for me to guide and coach other staff so we’re really achieving daily consistency in every arena. It’s my job to make sure there is consistency in everything from delivery to service and everything in between,” she explains. “In my specific role, it’s also important to make sure the mini bar products are current, fresh, on-trend, and that the prices are on trend within the market.”

Shapiro, who speaks Mandarin, calls the hospitality world a “mini-United Nations.” “It’s really a melting pot of every culture and background. I’m fascinated by the people I work with, as well as the international guests I serve.” Another important part of her job is to achieve the guest’s expectations. “I’m constantly pushing myself and my team to do better so our guests constantly return. The work and effort we put in for our guests will make them return to the JW Marriott, so we use that as motivation.”

Shapiro acknowledges the atypical schedule of the hospital field, calling it a “24/7” business. “We work holidays, we work weekends, it’s a never-ending job and new hires have to know that going in, and be willing to put forth the time and effort,” she says. “The hard work pays off in the end, and I see it in the guests’ faces when they leave happy, and I see it in the staff when they leave with a smile every day. It’s also pivotal to know how to multitask, and being able to handle more than one or two things at one time.”

According to Shapiro, possessing a thick skin in the hospitality field is also a plus. “It’s important to have patience and always take things with a grain of salt,” she says. “Knowing how to deal with a lot of different personalities is imperative, and being able to empathize and sympathize with guests and the staff as well. Empathy goes a long way in the hospitality industry.”

When she’s not working with guests from around the world to help make their JW Marriott experience pleasurable, Shapiro and her team give back to their community through charity work. “Right now, we work with Children Miracle Network. Around the holidays we love doing a “Secret Santa” with them where we give gifts to children. Seeing their reactions is one of the greatest and most incredible feelings,” says Shapiro.

Marriott International, Inc. is a leading hospitality company with more than 3,900 properties, 18 brands, and associates at its headquarters, and managed and franchised properties around the world. Founded by J. Willard and Alice Marriott and guided by Marriott family leadership for more than 80 years, the company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and reported revenues of nearly $13 billion in fiscal year 2013.

ARAMARK—A POSITIVE ATTITUDE FOR FOOD OPERATIONS
When a young Christopher Talley had “cook-offs” with his sister, little did he know their childhood fun would eventually become his chosen career. “All of my life I have been around food service and business operations, and I didn’t even know it,” acknowledges the Philadelphia native. “My grandmother and aunt both worked in food services and I was exposed at an early age to this industry, as well as business operations through my employment in a local food market where I grew up.”

Talley now works as the global campus recruitment manager for Aramark. “My core responsibilities are to help create and execute our on-campus strategy for recruiting students, building brand awareness, and assisting with on-campus business objectives,” says Talley, a Pennsylvania State University graduate. “In addition, I manage the relationships with candidates as they are recruited, interviewed, and on boarded.”

Talley also manages an on-campus recruiting team that includes up to ten other Aramark managers that work in different capacities within the organization, additional managers from human resources and talent management and organizational development, senior leadership, and new hires.

Having a positive personality is a must-have to work in hospitality, comments Talley. “I have found through my few years so far in the hospitality industry that the most successful people have been those folks who understand the importance of being positive in all situations and always looking for a way to benefit from each challenge they are faced with. When you’re positive, people want to be around you, talk to you, and they trust you. This is key when managing in the hospitality industry.”

Although working with students nationwide—and all sorts of tasty foods—can certainly be exciting, Talley says that like all careers out there, hospitality employees can face stressful situations. The key to working through them is confidence. Coming from a military family, and seeing his father face every challenge head-on, Talley explains, “I was never one to back down from a challenge. Accepting and facing that challenge has turned out to be the best thing that has happened to me at work.”

According to Talley, the hospitality field can be demanding and competitive, so recent college grads should be “ready and willing to make sacrifices in order to advance their career. Don’t be afraid of rolling your sleeves up and working; be open to doing any job that is needed of you.”

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Aramark is in the customer service business across food, facilities, and uniforms. The company was among 63 U.S. employers that recently received the 2014 Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles award at the Leadership Summit sponsored by the National Business Group on Health’s Institute on Innovation in Workforce Well-being.

With 270,000 employees working in 22 countries around the world, a career at Aramark can lead to many different opportunities. It is typical for Aramark employees to begin in one business with in the company and as the person grows in their career, to transition to other businesses. To give a sense of the scale of the organization, it serves 86% of Fortune 500 companies, has served 16 Olympic Games since 1968, puts 2 million people in uniforms each day, and serves meals to tens of millions of school students, businesses, sports fans, and hospital patients each year.

MGM GRAND DETROIT—GIVING BACK TO CUSTOMERS AND THE COMMUNITY
During a summer break from college, Lisa Williams was hired for a position as restaurant hostess at a hotel just outside the Detroit Metro Airport. “I met people from all over the world including celebrities, high-ranking government officials, and other dignitaries,” she recalls. “I enjoyed providing them an experience that made a difference in their travels.”

This experience led Williams to the hospitality field, and to her position as executive director of sales, sales administration at MGM Grand Detroit. “My core responsibility is to lead the sales efforts of the convention and catering sales team to increase customer loyalty that results in increased profits for MGM Resorts International,” says the Northern Michigan University graduate. “The biggest misconception about the hospitality field is that the jobs are limited to front office, restaurant, and housekeeping. But hospitality careers can range from finance and IT to nightclub management and aviation.”

Williams advises hospitality job seekers to “do what works best for your lifestyle and family. For me, I schedule family time the same way I schedule work time, and I am as diligent about keeping those commitments as I am about work commitments.” Additionally, Williams says a professional should be “engaging, compassionate, and hospitable.”

For recent college graduates interested in the hospitality field, she advises the resume be used to identify strengths and experiences. “Highlight what makes you different and valuable to the position,” Williams says. “Thoroughly review the job description and use similar words and experiences in your resume that match what the employer needs.”

Also, find a way to make volunteer or previous job experiences relevant to the position you want. “What were some of the duties or skills learned that may lend well to the position?” asks Williams. Additionally, give a brief overview of why you are the best candidate for the job. And finally, use bullet points to highlight job responsibilities on a resume to keep it neat, orderly, and help it flow.

“Remember—if you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” states Williams, bringing up a beloved career quote she shares with fellow employees. “I try to live my life in a way that others around me see not just my success, but that I am a woman of substance and integrity,” she says. “I encourage others to walk their own path and perfect their skills—be an expert on whatever you choose and continue to be a student of your craft. And with all these things, be charitable.”

Charity is near and dear to Williams’ heart. “MGM Grand Detroit strongly supports giving back to the community in which we do business,” she says. “I am involved with the MGM Resorts Foundation and Employee Volunteer Program. Through these programs, we can choose to support the causes financially and participate in several local charity events.”

The MGM Grand Detroit is one of three casino resort hotels in the city, and one of four in the Detroit-Windsor area. MGM Grand Detroit is the first-ever Las Vegas-style destination to open in a major metropolitan core, with over 4,000 slots and video poker games, over 90 table games, luxury rooms and suites, celebrity chef restaurants, a resortstyle spa, and 30,000 square feet of meeting and convention space. MGM Grand Detroit is one of the top employers in the area, with approximately 3,000 team members.

HYATT—BUILDING A HOTEL CAREER FROM THE BOTTOM-UP
“Ifollowed my dream to be in the hospitality industry,” affirms Roosevelt Moncure, catering & marketing director at Chicago’s Hyatt Regency hotel, which was recently ranked number one on Cvent’s “Top 100 Meeting Hotels List.” The Hyatt brand was also just ranked by the Chicago Tribune as the number five workplace in Chicago. This is the third year the hotel company has ranked in the top six on the list of “Top 100 Workplaces” of large companies in the Chicagoland area.

Not only is the hotel achieving great success, so, too, is Moncure. As catering director, he’s booked $2.4M annually.

Moncure has worked at Hyatt for more than 30 years. “I started March 5, 1984 as a steward and my first big event was the Democratic Convention for 10,000 people,” he adds. “I’ve never seen so many dishes in my life!”

A crucial part of his job is networking. “I do a lot of networking; a lot of non-profit and community volunteering,” Moncure says. “I try to bridge the gap between Hyatt and the community to build a partnership with my clients. I don’t just want to ‘take your money’; I want to build relationships and I value those relationships.”

Moncure, who studied at Roosevelt University, notes that networking isn’t something that can be taught. “Most deals are made networking outside of the office,” he says.

Catering sales differ from other types of sales jobs because, “you are totally responsible for a huge social event (wedding, prom, gala) and you only get one shot,” Moncure explains. “If you fail, that is your reputation. If you are in sales, you are selling a product, a tangible object. Sales are very cut and dry with little change. The product is what it is. In catering, you’re selling service first, then the product; your service changes based on the needs of the client.”

For that reason, “listening is the most valuable skill necessary in this business,” he comments. “You need to hear and understand the needs of the client.”

Moncure wants recent graduates to know catering is not a 9-5 job. “And no weekends off,” he adds. “This is the most challenging aspect of the hospitality industry for the younger generation to accept.”

He encourages job seekers to explore Hyatt’s Corporate Management Trainee program. “You get to move around and you aren’t locked into one position. It allows you to hone your skills and figure out what works for you,” he says.

Moncure visits schools and talks to the students about the hospitality industry and the different positions in the industry. “We go to as many job fairs as we can get to, including those at Roosevelt University, and the Warrior Summit and President’s Day Veteran’s Employment Fair (both for veterans) and partner up with different organizations that we send weekly job openings. We also do tours of the hotel for various organizations, including many schools.”

He enjoys building the relationships between Hyatt and the community and “watching the end result happen. Additionally, it’s wonderful to be in a social setting where people call me to continue to build that relationship,” he says.

Hyatt Regency Chicago is committed to diversity and inclusion in all aspects, from focused recruitment efforts to community participation. Hyatt corporate also has many diversity programs, including Women@Hyatt and HyPride.

Hyatt is a global hospitality company with more than 95,000 Hyatt colleagues working within 573 properties in 48 countries.