Youth Incorporated Magazine

A career in culinary arts and hospitality can be a booming one, provided you know which direction to go in and take the right steps towards a successful inning in this sector. The Global Hospitality Seminar, organized by Zista Education Services LLP guided students on just how to do that. The seminar took students through three main arenas – careers and trends in the industry, choosing the right schools to study at, and the top 5 study destinations.

Hospitality is a broad-ranged branch of the industry where graduates can find vast employment options. When it comes to hospitality, Food and Beverage (F&B) form a 20-25% of overall revenue. However, some hotels make a 50-50 revenue mix from Room Service and F&B. Here, you can find yourself as Head of Operations at restaurants, a chef, a wine sommelier, or even a social media manager. Another exciting avenue to find jobs in is Travel and Tourism, as a travel agent, a tour guide or even working with Tourism Ministries.

However, a major shift in trends were observed a few years ago, where employers found that hotel management students are deeply equipped with business management skills, handling customer experiences, brand management, finance, social and digital marketing, etc. Entertainment and events are also major employment avenues, and a lot of schools have dedicated event management programs, like wedding planning and sports events.

In the culinary space, one can find jobs at hotels and resorts, stand-alone restaurants, a chef in the airlines or cruise ships, or patisseries – an industry that has emerged over the last 5 years. People who have a good amount of experience can go on to become chef instructors, private / celebrity chefs, or industry catering. Relatively newer jobs that are gaining traction include food photography and food styling, wine sommelier (which has branched out into whisky sommeliers and beer connoisseurs), vegan chefs,

The National Restaurant Association’s annual culinary forecast has identified the food and menu trends that are shaping up 2018, which include a Filipino purple yam ice cream, Jicma taco shells that are a vegetable carb-substitute, culinary cocktails, locally sourced produce, sustainable seafood, a Peruvian chicharron breakfast sandwich, ethnic-inspired breakfast items, and more. A large number of the trends are demand-driven. In this respect, the United States have emerged a trend-setter for their sheer innovativeness, that are a cut about the others.

A career in culinary arts demands passion, as it involves long work hours and is not for the faint-hearted. One also needs to have an artistic ability, as you need to be able to present aesthetically pleasing plates. Culinary arts will also teach you research and development, the science behind food, and how science plays a major role in consuming food.

When it comes to choosing the right school to study at, one needs to look at the university itself, its reputation and rankings, its accreditation, course offerings, the location, student life, affordability, career outcomes, and employment prospects. However, the biggest factor should be the internships offered, considering that the industry requires you to showcase your skills to the best of your abilities.

The seminar also identified the top 5 countries to pursue hospitality and culinary arts – Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. Switzerland is also known as the birthplace of hospitality, has world-class programs, and offers global internships, and hence ranked as the number one place to obtain a degree in this dynamic industry.

The seminar was then opened to a Q & A where the experts addressed students’ concerns and queries. The event was informative and engaging, and certainly equipped students with the knowledge they need before setting out in their careers. A little socializing and a cup of coffee later, students left feeling content, and with a clearer plan of action.