Bed and Breakfast Owners

One easy way to learn more about careers in the field is to read books about the field. One suggestion: How to Open a Financially Successful Bed & Breakfast or Small Hotel, by Sharon Fullen and Douglas Brown. YouTube videos that spotlight a day-in-the-life of bed and breakfast owners and related topics are also useful.

The Association of Lodging Professionals publishes a e-newsletter, e-magazine, and a blog, and maintains an informative Web site (https://www.alplodging.org/publications). If there are inns in your town, interview the owners and spend a day or two with them as they perform their daily duties. The owner may even have part-time positions open for someone to assist with preparing breakfast or cleaning the rooms—employment of staff has increased in the last few years. Some bed and breakfast owners occasionally hire reliable "innsitters" to manage their inns when they're out of town.

Even a job as a motel housekeeper or desk clerk can give you experience with the responsibilities of innkeeping. Bed and breakfasts, hotels, and resorts across the country often advertise nationally for seasonal assistance. For years, high school and college students have made a little extra money working in exotic locales by dedicating their summers to full-time hotel or resort jobs. Waitstaff, poolside assistants, kitchen staff, housekeepers, and spa assistants are needed in abundance during peak tourist seasons. In some cases, you can get a paid position, and in others you may be expected to work in exchange for room and board. Even if your summer job is at a large resort rather than a small bed and breakfast, you can still develop valuable people skills and learn a lot about the travel and tourism industry.