Dr. Sudhir Andrews, is a name well-known to every Hospitality Person in India & Abroad. Author of 11 Hospitality Management Books, National and Institutional Awards winner including Rashtriya Gaurav Award and Rajiv Gandhi Award for Excellence, helped the industry with his gracious Training & Development activities. Industry is thankful to him for his guidance. This article is dedicated to him, on his birthday. Long live Professor and Keep guiding us.
Below lines are taken from his various speeches in recent scenario.
The hospitality sector or, the hotel industry has faced several adversities viz: plague, SARS, Taj Attack and the like, since its inception. However, just like ‘every cloud has a silver lining’, the industry has also bounced back from all the negative aspects.
The role of technology is vital and can never be overemphasized. Technology has shrunk the world a lot and has brought everything in our fingertips. The “Mantra” of today’s digital society is – DISRUPTION and INNOVATION. We can define digital as the transaction of information and business from screen to screen. In the present scenario of COVID – 19, the education sector has undergone a massive change and has adapted to on-line education, right from the KG to the PG level. The teaching learning style has undergone a massive shift.
Change is an inevitable characteristic of all forms of life. We have changed from the analog to the digital world and in this millennium, where Hospitality students represent the gen “Y” and teachers, the gen “X”, there may be a difference of opinion or a communication gap between these two sections.
FUN + MASTERY + NETWORK
The secret of success lies in the combination of three qualities.
Distinguished Professor Dr. Sudhir Andrews
The future mantra of success is : SKILLS. The FUN we are talking here is nothing but the passion we develop for something. We need to discover the passion within us and develop the unique skills required to nurture it. Our focus should be to grow the unique SKILL within us and demonstrate or display it in front of our employers because post COVID, companies will only recruit those with unique skills.
MASTERY is another word for ‘Competency’. The focus should be to improve one’s skill through competency or mastery of the subject or profession. One should think of turning one’s surrounding into opportunities.
Certain tips might be suggested to improve mastery in hospitality careers:
- Continuous education in the field of fun
- Get the latest certification in the field
- Subscribe to Journals in the field
- Enrol into trade associations related to the field
- Make a network of similar experts
- Spend extra time free to learn the craft
- Watch talks by experts from YouTube
- Explore opportunities worldwide, not only for yourself, but to understand the trends.
- Be flexible to change your fun
A combination of competencies and skills comprise of the “FRONT-LINE COMPETENCIES”. Front-line refers to any employee in direct or indirect contact with the customers or consumers.
In the Post COVID – 19 scenario one not only needs to develop competency and skills, but also :
- Be prepared to work in B & C cities
- Be ready for a digital lifestyle
- Develop an entrepreneurial skill
- Use job to open own business later
- Think of transferable skill to other businesses
- Be adaptable to changing technologies
Another important aspect to reach the peak of success in this post covid environment is NETWORK or CONNECTIONS. One should start thinking and explore new and innovative entrepreneurial opportunities. The career plan chart should be chalked out in such a manner that all the allied services related to the hotel industry can be surveyed for new job opportunities.
“Become the talent and make your own price”
Distinguished Professor Dr. Sudhir Andrews
Finally, the most important mantra in the post covid condition, which specifically means that we need to focus on developing our entrepreneurial skills and try to become entrepreneurs in our own possible way.
Entrepreneurial opportunities exist in various departments of the hospitality sector like : housekeeping services / bakery supplier / butchery supplier / pool management / resort & club animators / home housekeeping / catering / gym / beach management / linen supply / pest control / kitchen equipment / bar management & tending / school catering / beauty salon & spa.
Opportunities for business can also be explored in various sections like: training & development, transport, security, staff catering, housekeeping, recruitment & payroll, accounting, advertisement / events / PR, engineering & equipment, clinics and crèches, uniform maintenance & laundry, horticulture & florists, carpet shampoo/ chandelier / window cleaners / mega-complex dynamics.
It can thus be concluded that the focus in preparing for future careers in the digital age & post COVID – 19 should be on : Point Casting i.e. on specializing
Once a person becomes specialized in the particular field of study or work which he or she is practicing, there will be no difficulty at all to be successful under any circumstance or in any kind of scenario, whether favourable or adverse. So, ‘Point Casting’ can make us achieve our dream or goal quite easily and can open a lot of career opportunities in front of us.
