Purpose

This paper examines why individuals start their hospitality careers by becoming temporary lifeguards while aspiring to later promotion. It reports data from young people working in one major upmarket hotel chain that operates in the Gulf but has a global reach. This study aims to address issues regarding this often-overlooked career path for young staff.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative questionnaire was distributed to lifeguards working in a luxury hotel chain in a Gulf country to explore their reasons for working as a lifeguard and their experiences in this role. Data were analysed using QDA Miner and WordStat to generate coherence and similarity indices.

Findings

It is found that the attractions include good training with a well-established company operating in an upmarket location, but other important factors include career prospects, skill enhancement, self-development, monetary savings and experience working in one of the world’s most exciting tourist locations.

Practical implications

The results offer implications for management looking to recruit expatriate labour without considering long-term employment or residence. Nonetheless, while this offers opportunities to assess many potential long-term employees, there are costs to the practice.

Originality/value

Little research has been conducted on lifeguards and how employment in such roles can develop careers in hospitality. The study contributes to understanding motives and career development and conceptually suggests that liminal status complements those drawn to protean career development. The results shed light on how new employees, including management trainees, undertake liminal, protean careers, to care for family, develop their careers and enter markets that may otherwise be difficult to enter.

中文翻译：

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酒店管理计划：来自海湾豪华度假村救生员的千变万化的阈限路径

目的

本文探讨了为什么个人通过成为临时救生员开始他们的酒店职业生涯，同时渴望以后晋升。该报告报告了在一家大型高档连锁酒店工作的年轻人的数据，该连锁酒店位于海湾地区，但业务遍及全球。本研究旨在解决年轻员工这一经常被忽视的职业道路的问题。

设计/方法论/途径

我们向在海湾国家一家豪华连锁酒店工作的救生员发放了一份定性调查问卷，以探讨他们担任救生员的原因以及他们担任这一角色的经历。使用 QDA Miner 和 WordStat 分析数据以生成连贯性和相似性指数。

发现

研究发现，吸引力包括在高档地区运营的知名公司接受良好的培训，但其他重要因素包括职业前景、技能提高、自我发展、节省金钱以及在世界上最令人兴奋的旅游地点之一工作的经验。

实际影响

研究结果为管理层在不考虑长期就业或居住的情况下招聘外籍劳动力提供了启示。尽管如此，虽然这提供了评估许多潜在长期员工的机会，但这种做法是有成本的。

原创性/价值

关于救生员以及担任此类角色如何能够发展酒店业职业的研究很少。该研究有助于理解动机和职业发展，并从概念上表明，阈值状态补充了那些被多变的职业发展所吸引的人。研究结果揭示了包括管理培训生在内的新员工如何从事有限的、多变的职业，照顾家庭，发展自己的职业生涯，并进入原本难以进入的市场。