Professor Merritt--
I do not know how I should be feeling about my job offer. I have worked for a well known, casual, steak restaurant chain through college. I graduate this spring with a degree in hospitality management. The restaurant has now made me an offer to join their manager-in-training program with lots of stress and responsibility. I made more as a server than they are offering me as a management trainee. At times I think that I should just continue to be a server and have fun.
Brian T.
Brian,
There are plusses and minuses to choosing the hospitality industry. One of the early minuses for college grads is that people without degrees are competing for the same entry-level management jobs, which can keep salaries down. One of the plusses is a college grad will likely move up much quicker in the organization and continue to progress when others find themselves topping out. Generally, it takes two to three years before this breakout occurs. When it happens, promotions and opportunities come quickly.
As to making more money as a server than as a manager-in-training, I suggest that you consider the management training an investment-in-yourself period. You will be receiving intensive training and the organization will be watching and evaluating your progress in terms of where and how you will be fitting into the organization. Organizations do not benefit by bringing someone in as a management trainee unless they help develop that person into a fast-track manager (which greatly benefits both the organization and the individual). The payoff will come either in this organization or down the road with another. You will need to decide for yourself.
Do be aware that I hear a fair amount of regret from college grads who find themselves in their 30s and who stayed with being servers because they get great pay (cash at the end of the shift) and have no ongoing responsibility after the work period. Their regret stems largely from not capitalizing on the opportunity early, now wanting a more stable and predictable worklife and lifestyle, and realizing that time may have passed them by.
Think carefully and not just about the near term future.
About Me
- Edward A. Merritt, PhD
- Dr. Ed Merritt is the James A. Collins Distinguished Professor of Management at California State University (Cal Poly Pomona). His education includes a Doctoral degree from Cornell University (PhD), Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Pepperdine University, and Bachelor's degree (BS) from the University of Alabama. Dr. Merritt is the author of seven books on management, as well as more than 200 publications and presentations. Research and consulting interests include leadership, strategy, and survey questionnaires for organizations worldwide. Contact Dr. Merritt: www.EdwardAMerritt.com edwardamerritt@gmail.com
