If everything runs smoothly and without a hitch in the hotel, the hotel clerks have done their job perfectly. From the ringing telephone to the international guest, from the pricing to the offer, from the reception to the rooms, they make sure everything runs smoothly.

If you also like to take responsibility and always keep an overview with a smile on your lips, then the apprenticeship is just right for you!

During your apprenticeship you will get to know all areas of the hotel: You take care of the administration in the office, conduct sales talks, provide fresh goods and plan the staff. At the reception, you juggle reservations, manage appointments and book guest rooms. But the kitchen and the restaurant are also on the agenda. This is the only way to find out what is going on in the different areas and what the processes look like.

The training as a hotel clerk (m/f) at a glance:

At the beginning of your training, you will go through the different departments such as housekeeping and reception, reservations and banqueting, kitchen and purchasing. At the vocational school, you will learn the basics of hotel management, accounting, bookkeeping, merchandise management and human resources management.

Later, you will draw up duty rosters and supervise staff, organise training courses and determine room rates. Advertising and merchandise management are also part of the curriculum. Of course, you will also be shown how to prepare and check the rooms.

The most important thing, however, is and remains the guest. Because only practice and routine will make you a competent contact person. Maths, German and English are crucial so that you can check invoices, write letters and have conversations with international guests.

After your training, all paths are open to you: Through further training, for example to become a hotel manager, you can even quickly take on managerial functions.

Hospitality business administrator

As a business administrator in the hospitality industry, you can manage a business or individual areas of a hotel. To do this, you take an examination at a vocational school. The preparation time takes 2 to 4 years, depending on the type of course. A lot of ambition and self-discipline is therefore necessary.

Business economist in the hospitality industry

You can also get a little closer to the boss's chair with further training to become a business economist in the hospitality industry. To become a business economist in the hospitality industry, you must take an examination. The preparation takes 2 to 4 years, depending on full or part time. Afterwards, you are authorised to work as an assistant to the management or department head. 

Study Hotel and Tourism Management

You can not only continue your education at a technical college, but also at a university. If you have a university entrance qualification, you can enrol for a course of study in hotel and tourism management, for example.

Hotel Master

If you dream of owning your own business or would like to be employed as the manager of a hotel, you can take a big step towards this dream by taking the master craftsman's examination. You will be taught in-depth knowledge about all areas of the hospitality industry. The courses last from five months to two years - depending on whether you take full-time or part-time courses. You can also learn the content on your own, because attending a course is not compulsory. After passing the exam, you are authorised to train apprentices yourself.

Start-up

If you dream of owning your own hotel, training to become a hotel manager is the first step. Now you should gain as much work experience as possible. Even if you don't need any specific certificates, it is an advantage to get a master's certificate and gain many years of professional experience.

The training salary for a hotel clerk is usually based on collective agreements. However, these are not uniform throughout Germany, but vary from federal state to federal state. As is still the case with many professions, the salary in the old federal states is somewhat higher than in the old ones.

The training salary for a hotel clerk is therefore between 430 and 690 euros in the first year, depending on the location and employer. The salary increases with each year, so that you earn between about 540 and 780 euros in the second year of training and about 610 to 870 euros in the third year.

But in addition to the fixed salary, one or two euros more will flow into your pocket, because the great thing about the hotel and catering industry is that guests reward good service with tips. So if you have a job with a lot of customer contact, your friendly manner will not only be rewarded by the boss with a positive assessment, but also by the guest with a few extra euros.