Hospitality management: Career areas

A 2012 HESA survey of 2011 graduates indicates that six months after graduation, just under 75% of graduates in hospitality-related subjects had entered employment in the UK or overseas. Of those who were in work, around 30% went into management roles within the commercial, industrial and public sectors, including hotel and restaurant management, while 15% were employed as retail, catering, waiting and bar staff. Around 14% found work as business, finance and associate professionals, which are common routes open to graduates with a management qualification. Approximately 6% were assumed to be unemployed.

Where are the jobs?

Some of the large chain hotels or restaurants offer graduate management programmes, providing a fast-track to management positions as well as experience in a range of operations.

Hospitality graduates can also find work in catering, conference and events management, the entertainment and leisure sector, facilities management and food service management. Self-employment is an option with experience, business sense and a sound plan. There are also relevant roles throughout the public sector in universities, hospitals, transport and the armed forces.

The British Hospitality Association and the Institute of Hospitality provide careers information.

For more information on potential career areas open to hospitality graduates, see hospitality, tourism and sport. 

Hospitality jobs include restaurant and pub management, contract catering for the private or public sector, event management, accommodation and conferencing. Areas of work in the sport and leisure industry include provision for physical activities (fitness, outdoor hobbies), entertainment (cinemas, theatres, restaurants), relaxation and cultural pursuits (museums and galleries, reading, shopping). The tourism sector covers provision for tourists, both in the UK and abroad. The travel industry is closely linked. Employers include tourist boards, tour operators and travel agents, tourist information centres and any business associated with a tourist attraction.

For further information on possibilities in other employment areas, see job sectors. 

Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do?  and your degree...what next?