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All my jobs since graduating from college have been in travel/lodging, an industry I have enjoyed and hope to stay in for the long haul.
However, once in a while, I see listings for jobs that don't sound all that bad, but would require jumping to an industry I've never worked in before.
I actually quit two jobs several years ago -- one in healthcare, and the other in K-12 education -- because I couldn't bring myself to enjoy the work. Neither industry really appealed to me. With lodging, however, I feel I have found a good fit, and I don't want to risk disrupting that momentum.
I also know that companies look favorably upon candidates who already bring experience in their industry. By switching to say, healthcare, I would essentially be starting from scratch, and employers might be suspicious of my reasons for bolting. On the other hand, I have positioned myself well to move up in the hotel/lodging industry, as I've worked in it for almost 8 years now.
Do you think remaining in the same industry pays off in the long run? Is this the best way to secure progressively higher-paying jobs?
Depends on the industry, the long term prospects for growth and how well you are positioned within it. I work in a very mature, low growth segment of the industry and while it will not disappear/die in the next 10 years, the prospects for real growth and advancement are really low.
However, if your industry is growing and you have a job and expeirence that you can leverage in the long term in order to get a better position than stay put. I would change industries only if your current one is either dying or has stopped growing and the new industry you think of moving to is growing at a good pace. Even ifnit means starting at a lower paid position, you may see more upside in a few years.
In order to make an informed decision, you really need to study your current industry and your target industry and see what the trends are.
I find your OP confusing. You say you quit two jobs several years ago, but then say you've been in hotel work for 8 years.
And everything else you say about staying in hotel work, seems to be answering your own question.
But anyway, there will always be hotels, and it seems to me you could stay in that line of work forever, and perhaps you could find a company that will be supportive of getting a degree and advancing. Something like the big casino/hotel corporations come to mind. I met a retired woman who worked for one of these in Reno, NV most of her life as a waitress and she has a decent pension.
But, I bet if you were ambitious you could move into management.
But anyway, there will always be hotels, and it seems to me you could stay in that line of work forever, and perhaps you could find a company that will be supportive of getting a degree and advancing. Something like the big casino/hotel corporations come to mind. I met a retired woman who worked for one of these in Reno, NV most of her life as a waitress and she has a decent pension.
I already have a bachelor's degree in marketing, and I've worked for third party hotel booking sites similar to Expedia and hotels.com. Now I'm working for a third party timeshare company. I've never actually worked at a hotel. In other words, my experience is on the corporate side.
In general, staying within the same industry will allow you to climb higher up the corporate ladder because of your experience. You are also more likely to develop contacts that will be able to assist you in your career in the future.
As noted earlier, you need to look at what the career prospects are within your industry, and the long term viability of your industry as well. It doesn't do you much good to be a highly skilled blacksmith once the industrial revolution gets underway.
All my jobs since graduating from college have been in travel/lodging, an industry I have enjoyed and hope to stay in for the long haul.
However, once in a while, I see listings for jobs that don't sound all that bad, but would require jumping to an industry I've never worked in before.
I actually quit two jobs several years ago -- one in healthcare, and the other in K-12 education -- because I couldn't bring myself to enjoy the work. Neither industry really appealed to me. With lodging, however, I feel I have found a good fit, and I don't want to risk disrupting that momentum.
I also know that companies look favorably upon candidates who already bring experience in their industry. By switching to say, healthcare, I would essentially be starting from scratch, and employers might be suspicious of my reasons for bolting. On the other hand, I have positioned myself well to move up in the hotel/lodging industry, as I've worked in it for almost 8 years now.
Do you think remaining in the same industry pays off in the long run? Is this the best way to secure progressively higher-paying jobs?
I wouldn't worry about that side of it. People get tired of and leave industries for one reason or another all the time. And, there may be a time 10 years from now that you decide to leave the industry, and you probably will be able to.
That said, there is something to be said for credibility and equity that you build with years in an industry, and the contacts you build help facilitate this as well. It doesn't mean you're best pals with the CEO, but it might mean that you know a great Facilities and Maintenance guy when yours quits, or the GM of a hotel across town if your current position becomes unbearable or untenable for whatever reason.
You seem to really like your business. You enjoy it and have a positive momentum. Read some of the other posts there and realize how blessed you are to have it. Why mess with it?
I already have a bachelor's degree in marketing, and I've worked for third party hotel booking sites similar to Expedia and hotels.com. Now I'm working for a third party timeshare company. I've never actually worked at a hotel. In other words, my experience is on the corporate side.
You sound defensive. But, in your OP you talk about the ability to rise in the ranks if you stay in the same field, which you said was hotels.
And you say you're on the "corporate side," but you're obviously not a CEO.
So, what is it that you do now for third party booking sites, and what would you prefer to be doing?
And I still don't see why you couldn't do whatever it is you do or want to do that has to do with people who book time in hotels and time shares - that you couldn't do for a large corporation like MGM resorts. I don't understand why you seem to have found that idea beneath you. But, maybe I "read" your tone wrong.
After 8 years, I would think you'd have an idea of whether staying in that field would give you "progressively higher paying jobs." Have your jobs gotten progressively higher paying?
I think it really depends on too many factors to make a blanket statement. Your training and experience, the nature of the industry, your particular niche in the industry, and the structure of the company in which you work. Sometimes people with only a certain amount of experience or education top out in certain industries where they might have better growth potential in other industries. I don't know enough about your industry to offer an opinion, but after 8 years I'm sure you have a good idea of your potential for financial growth.
That being said, people jump to different industries all the time. People follow the jobs and the money and their own desires. Sometimes specific skills sets can advance you in a new industry faster if you can market yourself well. Other times they won't. It sounds like you're happy where you are, so would you only jump if you could guarantee better financial growth potential? Some would argue that happiness in a career is worth a lot, as long as you aren't completely struggling financially.
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