The challenge is most hotels prefer someone with a proven track record as they are not keen to place someone with no experience in charge of maximising their revenue. There is no short cut to obtaining a Revenue Manager role and obtaining as much experience in the operations especially front office and reservations is a great base to build from.
You need to have an innate desire to question things, look for patterns and trends, think out of the box and be willing to take calculated risks whilst always measuring results. Revenue Management is not data and number crunching but looking at ways to interrupt data and seek out patterns and trends. Many variants make a trend not just one.
You need to be a good communicator and people person as you interact with all revenue generating streams in the property and the key to implementing a successful Revenue Management Strategy is Integration of all these areas.
Working as a Reservations Manager or Assistant under the guidance of an experienced Revenue Manager is great grounding for both RM and leadership skills. There is also the potential to apply for an entry level analyst role within a Revenue Management team in some properties.
There is always something to learn, analyse or a trend to identify! you need to be innovative and keep up to date with the latest trends in RM and the Tourism economy.
Completing your ARMA online training modules in addition to your work experience is valuable training as well.
So if your thinking of a career in RM which is an exciting specialised discipline and the heart of maximising revenue in the property feel free to drop us a line for further career guidance.
ARMA