How to get into the leisure and tourism industry

Want to work in leisure and tourism? You'll need to be flexible, commercially aware and have excellent people skillsOne of the major advantages of this industry is that employees can follow their passions and work anywhere in the world. While entry-level roles do not necessarily require a degree ? employees can receive on-the-job training ? those with a relevant degree as well as some experience (such as working in a hotel before and during study) tend to progress well in the hospitality industry.Employees should expect to deal with the public in any role, so employers look for excellent people skills, communication, teamwork, dedication, flexibility and commercial awareness.Getting inJames Mulkeen, University of Salford Business School, which runs a BA in leisure and tourism managementOur course content reflects the diverse range of interests covered by the term "leisure and tourism" and there is a strong business and management core, including traditional management subjects such as human resource management, accounting and finance, marketing and operations management.This is complemented by a range of industry-specific modules including tourism operations, transport and logistics, heritage, sport, hospitality, events management and corporate and social responsibility. The objective of courses is to produce graduates who are capable of contextualising management practice in terms of global thinking and sustainable practice.The aim is that leisure and tourism management graduates develop skills and knowledge valued by employers both within and outside of the leisure and tourism industries.Getting onMartin Gash, HR director, TUI UK & IrelandIn all employees we look for dedication, energy and a passion for our product and the service we provide to our customers. Experience in the travel industry is not always necessary, it is more important to us for our recruits to have an understanding of what our customers need.As part of our graduate scheme, individuals spend time in all areas of the company, from product development to airline operations, allowing them to build a wealth of knowledge and experience that would normally take an employee years to develop. Many of the senior board members, including our MD, started their career in the graduate scheme and have held positions in customer-focused roles, whether customer services, retail or overseas.View from the insideMandeep Bains is a commercial executive at Affinion International TravelI didn't see tourism as a career, as I had no experience or knowledge of it. However, I've come to realise that travel is a dynamic industry where individuals of all backgrounds can find their niche.Through training, Affinion has provided me with the knowledge I needed to work in the industry. Working as an agent dealing directly with the public gave me a good grounding in customer service, though I've since moved on to the commercial team.The travel industry is fun, exciting, challenging, and diverse. One of the best bits about working in it is the travel itself ? I've been on familiarisation visits to Petra in Jordan and Jamaica.Graduate careersWork & careersHigher educationGraham Snowdonguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

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