The New Generation in the Industry: Hospitality/Tourism Students' Career Preferences, Sources of Information and Career Choice Factors

Understanding applicants' preferences and values is important for recruiters to develop and update recruitment strategies. Few efforts, however, have been made lately to examine influential attributes on career decisions for the next generation in the industry- university students. The present study examines career preferences, sources of influence on career decisions and career choice factors for students majoring in hospitality and/or tourism in the United States. Self-administered survey questionnaires were collected from 442 students enrolled in seven universities in the US. Among three industry segments, lodging/hotel was most preferred while food/restaurant was least preferred. When deciding a future career, first hand information sources (e.g., work experiences, personal experiences) and extrinsic factors (e.g., advancement chances, job security) were most influential. Practical implications contrasting with prior studies and recommendations for future research are provided.