The manager is at the top of the chain of command in a hotel. Everything that goes on in the hotel is ultimately their responsibility, from the day-to-day running to recruitment, business planning and marketing. The Irish hotel industry is largely made up of small to medium enterprises, with approximately 70 per cent of hotels having less than 100 bedrooms. Therefore, managers must also be capable of working at craft level, running the bar or restaurant, says chief executive of the Irish Hotel and Catering Institute (IHCI) Karl Reinhardt. "The hotel manager has to be an expert in all areas and be able to step in anywhere they're needed."

Most graduates are employed at junior, assistant or duty management level or, in larger hotels, as department heads. "You may be given responsibility for the front office, for food and beverage, accommodation, personnel or perhaps conferences and banqueting."

Starting out, be prepared to work unsociable hours. Shift work is usually a part of the job and quite a few recent graduates get jobs as night duty managers. Although the hours can be irregular, they are not excessive, says Reinhardt. "The hours were definitely longer in the past. They are reducing constantly as the business is becoming more productive."

Time management, he says, is one of most crucial skills of the job. "You have to have an ability to manage time. This is a 24-hour business, so you have to be able to prioritise and delegate."

Another essential quality to have is leadership. "If you're in a management position, you have to be able to lead a team. You also have to be a good host, it's a customer-focused job."

Planning is becoming one of the most important areas of the job, says Reinhardt. "The business is standards-driven. You might have a great operation now, but in four or five years' time it might be passed out by somewhere else, so you've got to keep tweaking it so it's constantly moving forward."

Managers must also have a good head for business, he says, and be able to understand the implications of changes in the industry - such as acquisitions and mergers - and keep up to speed with legislation affecting the industry.

With a hotel being thrown up on ever available square foot of commercial land in the city at the moment, job prospects in the capital are very good and, says Reinhardt, the opportunities are expanding nationwide.

A hotel management qualification offers good oportunities for travel within Ireland and internationally. Some of the larger Irish hotel groups have branches throughout the world and quite a few US hotel chains have set up in Ireland in recent years.

Most institutes of technology have full-time certificate, diploma or degree courses in hotel management and there are also well established private schools recognised by the the IHCI, but for those who don't want to do a fulltime college course there are opportunities for on-the-job training.

Cert offers a four-year Trainee Manager Development Programme (TMDP) and there are currently 96 hotels approved for the programme. Cert accepts 60 applicants each year. The minimum entry requirements for the programme are five D3s in ordinary-level Leaving Cert subjects and must include English and maths. TMDP co-ordinator Sean O'Malley says accounting or business organisation and a foreign language are also helpful.

Trainee's can leave after three years with a CERT qualification and go on to fourth year for a NCEA diploma in hotel and catering management. Applicants should realise that this is not a soft alternative to following a full-time course. Trainees attend four weeks of lectures each year at the GalwayMayo IT (with an extra two weeks in first year). They complete college assignments during the year and must pass exams at the end of each year, all while holding down a very busy full time job .

"It's a very tough course. Under the TMDP code of practice, you work a 39-hour week in the hotel, but you may be asked to work overtime. On top of that, you'll need to do about 15 hours a week of study and assignments," says O'Malley.