|
JEENAL KAKKA, a peppy 26-year old believes in following her heart when it comes to matters concerning her job. Unusual as it may sound to many, Jeenal, after finishing Class 12 at St. Agnes High School in Mumbai, left a Bachelor’s programme to enrol in a diploma course.
She first joined the Nirmali Ketan College of Home Science, but within 14 months Jeenal realised that her five-year degree course in kitchen science did not interest her; it neither suited her temperament nor aptitude. So, the Mumbai girl dropped out to pursue a one-year Diploma in Travel and Tourism at the Kuoni Academy. “I love travelling, and am an adventure freak!” she says explaining her choice.
Add-on programmes: Alongside the diploma, Jeenal also completed the International Air Transport Association (IATA) programme, a four-year course by Kuoni Academy on air-ticketing. She strengthened her knowledge in the travel/ tourism domain by also undertaking a one-month Swiss Tourism training programme.
“In the travel business, one has to know the places well,” she says. The cost for all three programmes completed in a span of one year: Rs 116,000.
While doing the undergraduate programme, Jeenal also pursued a Bachelor in Arts from Mumbai University. “Though in this sector, experience counts more than having a Bachelor’s degree. I did my BA to keep my options open for further growth,” she adds.
Job profile: Jeenal joined GoGoa.com through campus placements. The 10-year old company specialises in Goa tourism. “Recently, the firm also ventured into Mumbai tourism and has launched a website, Mumbaistopover.com,” she apprises us. Jeenal, who joined as an executive sales officer, co-ordinates with hotels and the clients for their travel and accommodation arrangements.
|
Pay package: Into her job for three months and Jeenal received a raise of Rs. 2,000. “My current salary is Rs. 11,000,” she says. Isn’t it less for a city like Mumbai, we wonder.
“The starting salary in this industry is between Rs 6,000-9,000,” she informs us, having applied to established travel firms like Thomas Cook, Cox and Kings and Kesari Tours. The extended work timings were another deterrent. GoGoa suited her fine on both the counts.
Growth prospects: Jeenal maintains that getting a job in travel and tourism is not a tall order. But one needs refined communication skills as interaction with clients is a lot in this field. “One has to be a good listener, too, that’s what my training taught me,” she says.
An undergraduate like Jeenal can rise to the level of a Tour Operator, which involves planning end-to-end itinerary of a client along with cost details. The profile further up the ladder is Manager, which involves handling special customers and hotels. “With my IATA experience backing me, I plan to open up my own travel agency one day,” Jeenal says.
Institution | Programme | Fees (Rs.) | Months | Selection | Job function | Recruiters |
Diploma in Travel & Tourism Management | 70,000 | 12 | Entrance Test | Starting as Trainee | Thomas Cook, Cox & King, SOTC, Dubai & Macau Tourism Board, Lufthansa, Carlson, Le Meridien |
Articles
Browse Hospitality Colleges by State
Explore Career Options (By Industry)
Food Scientist
A food scientist enhances the safety, quality, and nutrition of food products. They work on developing recipes, testing for quality, analysing nutrition, optimising processes, and ensuring regulatory compliance. Their work spans labs, factories, and offices, often in collaboration with engineers and quality teams to create safe, innovative, and cost-effective food solutions for the market.
Food Inspector
A Food Inspector ensures the safety and quality of food by inspecting facilities, enforcing regulations, and preventing contamination. They examine food products, check sanitation practices, and uphold public health standards. The role requires knowledge in food science or biology, relevant certifications, and strong analytical skills. Their work is essential in preventing foodborne illnesses and maintaining hygiene standards
Food Engineer
A food engineer applies engineering principles to food production, processing, packaging, and storage to ensure safety, quality, and sustainability. They design processing systems, develop packaging and storage solutions, handle supply chain issues, and ensure compliance with food safety standards. Their work combines engineering, biology, and chemistry to improve food systems.
Food Technologist
A Food Technologist develops safe, nutritious, and innovative food products through research, quality control, and process design. They work in labs, processing units, and sometimes on-site to ensure food safety and customer satisfaction. With growing demand for healthy and processed foods, this career plays a crucial role in modern food production and technology.
Family Social Worker
In a career as family social worker, an individual help those people who grow up in dysfunctional families and suffer from mild to extreme dysfunction. Some people are able to overcome the obstacles that childhood brought them and have a positive impact on the future. This negative behavior brings great pressure on family members. Sometimes they need help to learn how to deal with certain family situations or problems faced on a personal level. Individuals who opt for a career as family social worker can help restore harmony by providing services to families in crisis.
Chef
Individuals in chef career path work responsibilities include planning the menu, observing the kitchen, and supervising the entire kitchen staff. In the beginning, a trainee chef might be asked to wash dishes, clean the kitchen, and chop vegetables. There is a gradual process of learning and growth to reach the final destination ‘head chef’.
Every restaurant needs a culinarian and the country has a thousand great restaurant chains. So, there are immense career opportunities as well. In this article, we will discuss Chef roles and responsibilities, how to become a Chef in India, Chef skills, Chef eligibility, how to become chef after 12th and Chef qualification.
Event Manager
An Event Manager plans, coordinates, and oversees events like weddings, conferences, and festivals. They work with clients to understand needs, manage budgets, coordinate vendors, and handle logistics. Strong organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills are essential. Career opportunities exist in agencies, hotels, or freelancing, with growth potential into senior roles like Event Director.
Travel Agent
A travel agent helps clients plan and book trips by arranging transport, accommodation, and tours. They offer advice on visas, insurance, and travel safety, and handle itinerary changes or cancellations. Using industry knowledge, they customise travel experiences and secure deals. Travel agents also support clients throughout their journey, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable travel experience.
Linguist
Linguistic meaning is related to language or Linguistics which is the study of languages. A career as a linguistic meaning, a profession that is based on the scientific study of language, and it's a very broad field with many specialities. Famous linguists work in academia, researching and teaching different areas of language, such as phonetics (sounds), syntax (word order) and semantics (meaning).
Other researchers focus on specialities like computational linguistics, which seeks to better match human and computer language capacities, or applied linguistics, which is concerned with improving language education. Still, others work as language experts for the government, advertising companies, dictionary publishers and various other private enterprises. Some might work from home as freelance linguists. Philologist, phonologist, and dialectician are some of Linguist synonym. Linguists can study French, German, Italian.
Hotel Manager
A hotel manager oversees daily hotel operations, ensuring guest satisfaction, staff efficiency, and financial performance. Key duties include managing guest services, supervising staff, handling budgets, maintaining facilities, and promoting the hotel. A degree in hospitality and work experience are usually required, along with strong leadership and communication skills.
Food Stylist
A food stylist is a culinary art specialist who is responsible for making the food look arranged in a presentable way decked up with accessories for a close shot. He or she works with chefs, photographers and editors.
Bartender
The bartender is the person who mixes and serves drinks at the bar. He or she helps the people to serve drinks at parties which adds to the glamour of the event or the night and makes the environment like a party mood. It is difficult to plan parties without the help of a bartender serving beers and alcohol with all the mixing techniques.
Students can pursue BHM (Bachelor of Hotel Management), or other related courses to opt for a bartender career in India. Here, in this article, we will discuss the details of how to become a Bartender in India, bartending a good job, bartender career growth, bartender roles and responsibilities, bartender courses in India, and bartender skills.
Station Master
A Station Master ensures the smooth and safe operation of trains at a railway station. Appointed by the Railway Recruitment Board, they manage train schedules, operate signals, oversee station facilities, assist passengers, and supervise staff. Their role is crucial for maintaining safety, punctuality, and passenger convenience, making it a responsible and rewarding career in Indian Railways.
Linguist
Linguistic meaning is related to language or Linguistics which is the study of languages. A career as a linguistic meaning, a profession that is based on the scientific study of language, and it's a very broad field with many specialities. Famous linguists work in academia, researching and teaching different areas of language, such as phonetics (sounds), syntax (word order) and semantics (meaning).
Other researchers focus on specialities like computational linguistics, which seeks to better match human and computer language capacities, or applied linguistics, which is concerned with improving language education. Still, others work as language experts for the government, advertising companies, dictionary publishers and various other private enterprises. Some might work from home as freelance linguists. Philologist, phonologist, and dialectician are some of Linguist synonym. Linguists can study French, German, Italian.
Travel Planner
A travel planner is a professional who assists clients or people in planning and organising their trips. He or she is responsible for making arrangements for the client's travel requirements such as reservations, booking flights, and arranging transport. A travel planner may also visit the holiday destinations and resorts to help the clients make informed decisions.
In a career as a travel planner, he or she must design cost-effective travel packages according to the client's needs and budget and provide the best recommendations to them. The travel planner oversees the negotiations for the accommodation, transportation, rental companies, tour guides and restaurants for the clients to get the maximum benefits of trips.
Travel Agent
A travel agent helps clients plan and book trips by arranging transport, accommodation, and tours. They offer advice on visas, insurance, and travel safety, and handle itinerary changes or cancellations. Using industry knowledge, they customise travel experiences and secure deals. Travel agents also support clients throughout their journey, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable travel experience.
Travel Journalist
A travel journalist explores destinations and shares experiences through articles, blogs, or social media. They plan trips, manage logistics, and may create guidebooks. A degree in Journalism or Mass Communication is typical, with added value from internships and skills in photography or film-making.