A Career In Hospitality Is The Golden Ticket You’ve Been Looking For

Let’s be honest. We’ve all wanted to find the golden ticket inside a Willy Wonka’s chocolate before. We want to feel like we just won special access to something that’s going to make us stand out and take us somewhere incredible. 

Well, after working in a couple of different places, I can tell you that my first job in the hospitality industry was my golden ticket to the world. 

You see, as many of you might have felt before, when I was 18 years old and I had to pick a career for myself, I wasn’t really sure. I saw myself doing so many different things but I didn’t feel confident enough to make that huge decision yet. 

I had the opportunity to go to Canada for a year right when I graduated high school. I was hoping to find some clues on what it was that I was meant to do. Well, life had figured that one out for me and it lead me directly to this industry. 

The fact that I was introduced to a new country, a new culture, a new language, and a new lifestyle, made me realize how wide the hospitality industry is. I developed a passion for the service industry. So I went back home and enrolled in Hospitality Management in college. 

I remember one of my first days of school, l was looking at my class schedule thinking: “Wow, this is school?!” I had cooking classes, bartending classes, World Culture and Tourism classes, and so many more. It felt like I was reading a book or a magazine I loved! They were all things that excited me and it didn’t feel like I was going to school to pass a test or get good grades, I was doing what I loved.

I decided to combine all of that with a degree in Business Administration, which to me, it’s the best of both worlds. I remember working the weekends during college with a wedding planner. I fell in love with how such a perfect organization process can come together and create a memorable experience for someone else. 

So long story short, when it was my time to graduate, I decided to apply for an internship in one of the most prestigious hotels in the world. My passion and my willingness to grow in the industry got me accepted, so I packed my bags and left to live in Rhode Island for a year. 

That internship was technically my first job as a hospitality professional. It made me learn things and skills that I didn’t even know I had in me. It made me the person I am today. And when it was time to start looking for my next job, I was a completely different person. My golden ticket started working out for me. 

That is what a career in hospitality does to you. Without even realizing it, you see life with a new pair of eyes. You react differently when you’re food is taking a little longer at a restaurant. You are more patient when the front desk agent has a hundred more things to do than to bring a towel to your room. You understand if the flowers are different at your event party but you got better ones. You treat people with kindness. You gain so much respect and appreciation for everyone’s job.

I’ve always said that a career in hospitality makes you a better person. It makes you look at both sides of the table. It makes you the best team member and a great leader at the same time. 

And the best part? If you’ve worked in hospitality, you can work anywhere else. Because this industry is run by people and for people. You’ll have skills that are going to help you succeed in any other industry. 

This is why a career in hospitality is the golden ticket that you’ve been looking for. It will get you places that you didn’t imagine you’d be. It will give you access to experiences that will end up giving you exactly what you needed. It will give you a new pair of glasses to see yourself, others, and the world.

It will make you feel lucky that you’ve found that ticket. 

Because it doesn’t matter where or when you start working in hospitality, what matter is how far you can go. 

Maria Navarro is a new contributor to Harri. Born and raised in Mexico, Maria moved to the US with big dreams! Though only 27 she has a passion for hospitality and has worked in a variety of management positions for luxury hotels. Now Maria is pursuing her other love––writing and connecting with people ––and has launched her copywriting business, offering services in both English and Spanish. 

You can read more of her work at mariawriting.com.