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Open Journal of Human Resource Management
Volume 2, Issue 2, 2019, PP 18-20
ISSN 2639-197X
Developing Career Path in the Tourism and Hospitality
Industry in the South West Region – The Public Sector Role
Evaristus Nyong Abam*
MSc. In international hospitality management, UK.
*Corresponding Author: Evaristus Nyong Abam, MSc. in international hospitality management, UK.
E-mail:- enyongabam@yahoo.com.
ABSTRACT
Proper understanding of the importance and good management of career development is necessary to
enable employees give it their total support and to reap the advantages. Any tourism and hospitality
organisation or business which is interested in developing the career paths of its workers improves the level
of confidence and spirit, hence the output of its employees. There is therefore a huge responsibility on the
part of each of the stakeholder namely: the employee, the manager and the employer in an organisation as
far as career development are concerned. While hospitality and tourism has traditionally been an industry
that emphasized hands-on experience, the competitive nature of the business now requires a combination of
experience and higher education to build a successful management career. Career paths are sometimes part
of the employee development process within organizations, in this case, an employee and a supervisor or the
Human Resources representative should always discuss the career development of the worker within the
context of their organization. It’s important to start thinking of career paths early as the choices made early
on in a career can influence the opportunities available in the future. Training and development can play a
significant part in the opportunities open to people and therefore the ways they can carve out their career
path.
Keywords: Career, development, career path development.
give it their total support to reap the advantages.
INTRODUCTION
Any organization which is interested in developing
Most professional employees leave their the career paths of its workers improves the level
companies nowadays because there is no career of confidence and spirit, hence the output of its
growth and to retain the best talented workers, employees.
organisations put in place career development
measures. It should be understood that developing Traditionally, a career path was viewed as
the careers of employees is amongst the best moving upward to higher levels of management
motivation measures to make employees happy in the organization but this does not mean that
and make them focused on the job. It is necessary an individual has to remain in the same job for
to find out if career planning and development has life as there are often lateral moves within the
something positive to bring in as far as worker`s firm that can be taken to allow an employee to
output is concern. A majority of the organisations become revitalized and find new challenges.
maybe of this opinion and have fully integrated it Regardless of the career path pursued, today’s
into their Human Resource long term plans. As workers need to develop a plan whereby they
concerns employees, career development methods are viewed as continually adding value to the
help them to understand their career path, the organization. If employees cannot add value, the
hurdles they need to go through and the target to company does not need them, and much of the
be achieved. Workers believed that career evolving work environments cannot use them
development is a way for them to move upward either. Workers must anticipate what tools will
the organizational structure. For Managers it may be needed for success in the future and obtain
be perceived as an instrument for succession and it these skills. These workers must look across
is also important for the management of career company lines to other organizations to
development programmes. Proper understanding determine what skills are transferable, and then
of the importance and good management of career go and get them. Essentially, today’s workers
development is necessary to enable employees must manage their own careers as never before.
Open Journal of Human Resource Management V2 ● I2 ● 2019 18
Developing Career Path in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry in the South West Region – The Public
Sector Role
Demotions have long been associated with skills. Developing your skills begins with
failure, but limited promotional opportunities in assessing which skills are important for your
the future and the fast pace of technological desired career development.70% of your
change may make them more legitimate career development should come from on-the-job
options (www.what is humanresource.com). activities and action learning and this can include
BACKGROUND OF THE SOUTH WEST REGION development experiences like managing a project,
serving on a cross-functional team, taking on a new
The South West is a Region in Cameroon, a task, job shadowing, job rotation, etc.20% of your
country on the continent of Africa and it is development should come from interactions with
located in the central of Africa. The capital of other and this includes having a mentor, being a
the South West Region is Buea and it is situated mentor, coaching, participating in communities of
at the foot of mount Cameroon. It has an area of practice, serving as a leader in a staff organization
25.410km2 and an approximate population of etc.
1.316.09 and a density of 52/km2. The South While 10% of your development should come from
West Region of Cameroon constitutes part of training, including classes, seminars, webinars,
the territory of the Southern Cameroon. It is one podcasts, conferences, etc.(www.hr.berkeley.edu).
of the two Anglophone speaking Regions of the Career paths are sometimes part of the employee
country. The Region is divided in to six development process within organizations and
Divisions (Fako, Lebialem, Manu, Kupe, this may occur as part of the performance
Managua, Meme and Ndian which are in turn appraisal process that takes into account the
broken down into Sub-Division controlled by interests, knowledge, and skills of the employee.
Senior Divisional Office (SDO), and Divisional Additional education, training or work
Officer (DO). assignments may be planned as mechanisms to
The South West Region is notable for having qualify employees for subsequent roles within
the first English speaking University in their career path. In many cases, an individual
Cameroon (University of Buea) and the Region will develop and actualize a career path without
is also consider the best tourist destination in the the cooperation of their employer, such workers
country with Limbe having the best attractions will engage in the career exploration process
in the country as it is situation beside the independently or with the assistance of a career
Atlantic ocean and it is the home of the counsellor, mentor or personal advisor. A career
Bakwerians. South West Region has important path doesn’t need to be a straight line up the
towns like Buea, Tiko, Kumba and Manfe: with career ladder and traditionally it imply vertical
Limbe the most popular tourist resorts notable growth or advancement to higher level positions
for its fine sandy beaches. Korup National Park but they can also entail lateral movement within
is also a major attraction and Buea itself, a site or across industries. The average person changes
at the foot of mount Cameroon which possesses jobs ten to fifteen times during their career and
an almost temperate climate which makes these changes can involve different types of
different from the rest of the Regions. The positions in different industries. Whichever way a
Regional Delegation of Tourism and Leisure for career path takes, it is designed to provide increased
South West is found in Fako Precisely in Buea satisfaction of a worker's career values and needs by
Sub-Division. targeting a series of jobs designed to get them to
LITERATURE REVIEW their career goal (www.thebalance.com).
In today's world, more employers are looking Career paths are routes that individuals take
for ways to facilitate career development and from their first day in the job market through to
encourage their employees to drive their own their final position before retirement and it start
careers. Skill development means developing with the most junior position and end with the
yourself and your skill sets to add value for the most senior position; this isn’t always the case but
organization and for your own career development. is likely the intention of the individual. Training and
Fostering an attitude of appreciation for lifelong development can play a significant part in the
learning is the key to workplace success (Abam, opportunities open to people and therefore the ways
2017). Continuously learning and developing they can carve out their career path and some
one's skills requires identifying the skills needed people will carve out a career path within one
and then successfully seeking out trainings or company while others will attempt to climb the
on-the-job opportunities for developing those ladder by moving to other companies.
Generally-speaking, companies need to promote
19 Open Journal of Human Resource Management V2 ● I2 ● 2019
Developing Career Path in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry in the South West Region – The Public
Sector Role
internally if they want individuals to remain techniques, hygiene and quality of service for
with them in the long-term. Your career path tourism actors in the South West Region at Buea
can be thought of as a map that leads to your Mountain Hotel.
final career goal or destination and to create CONCLUSION
that map, you have to determine where you want
to go with your work, and consider what steps Employee in an organization career path is seen
will lead you there(www.reference.com). when employee moves on one by one as he/she
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY grows in an organization. The employee may
move vertically most of the time but also move
For this research work, the researcher used only laterally or cross functionally to move to a
secondary data that was information collected different type of job role. Developing new skills
from documents and websites. that are required for the career change in
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS organisations and businesses should develop a
In today's world, more employers are looking career-path system that rewards those who play
for ways to facilitate career development and along with the corruption and destruction and
encourage their employees to drive their own punishes those who do not.
careers. The Ministry of Tourism and Leisure REFERENCES
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Seminar on the security of tourists, reception
Citation: Evaristus Nyong Abam,.," Developing Career Path in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry in the
South West Region – The Public Sector Role", Open Journal of Human Resource Management, 2(2), 2019,
pp. 18-20.
Copyright: © 2019 Evaristus Nyong Abam 2019. This is an open-access article distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Open Journal of Human Resource Management V2 ● I2 ● 2019 20
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