Education · 1 of 4

The path

Shortest path on this site. Get hired, then decide how far you want to go.

1. 1

   Finish high school

   Grade 12

   A diploma is what most hotels ask for. Any customer-facing job you have already had counts as experience.

2. 2

   Get hired at the desk

   Start right away

   Apply directly to hotels near you. Brands hire year round, and resort towns hire heavily before their busy season.

3. 3

   Learn the systems

   1 to 3 weeks

   Paid training on the property management system, the software that holds every reservation, room status and bill. Then the phone system, the key encoder and the brand's loyalty program.

4. 4

   Take the overnight shift

   Year 1 or 2 if you want it

   The night auditor closes out the day's books alone between about 11pm and 7am. It pays more, it teaches you the whole operation, and it is how a lot of people get noticed.

5. 5

   Move up

   2 to 6 years

   Front office supervisor, then front office manager. From there the ladder runs to assistant general manager and general manager.