Hotel Concierges

Try to find part-time or seasonal work in order to gain working experience. Your part-time job need not be in a hotel (although that's the best place to make contacts); consider working in the customer service department of a department store. What about working as a junior assistant for a wedding consultant or party caterer? If you are always recruited to show out-of-town relatives the city sights, then at least get paid for your efforts by working for a tour company.

Join student business organizations—such as Junior Achievement (https://jausa.ja.org), DECA (https://www.deca.org), Future Business Leaders of America (https://www.fbla.org), and Business Professionals of America (http://bpa.org) to learn more about the business world and participate in activities that develop your leadership and managerial skills. Some organizations—such as DECA—offer hospitality-related competitions.

Other ways to learn more about this career include participating in information interviews and job-shadowing experiences with concierges and getting involved in summer exploration programs in hospitality and other fields that are offered by colleges and universities.