a hotel inspector can be employed by a hotel, an independent agency or by official government inspection agencies. The most difficult jobs to find are the glamorous hotel reviewer positions with such companies as Michelin, Zagat and AAA. But there are many other types of hotel inspector positions within the hospitality industry and government that focus on quality control management.

Get a proper education. No matter what type of hotel inspector position you seek, having an education in hospitality management will put you ahead of the competition. ReluctantGourmet.com provides a list of the colleges that offer this major for every state. You should also check with the universities in your area to see if they offer courses through their extension programs. Another route is to pursue an education in quality control management. Many schools offer an associate degree or a bachelor's degree for this specialty.

Get the right experience. If a company or government agency is going to consider hiring you, they want to know that you are familiar with all aspects of hotel operations and the hotel industry. Depending on your age and goals, get an entry-level position as a front desk agent, a bell hop, a room service attendant or a concierge. Use that experience to get to know all aspects of hotel operations. Visit other hotels to see how the operate. You can search for jobs through every hotel's website as well as online classified ads.

Write hotel reviews. Even if you are not seeking a position as an independent hotel inspector for a review company, your writing skills will be a great asset when you apply for any hotel job. Most review sites such as CitySearch.com, Yelp.com and TripAdvisor.com allow anyone to post reviews. Make sure you cover every aspect of a hotel with fair and balanced reporting that is free of any grammatical errors. Your attention to detail will be appreciated by any future employers.

Prepare your cover letter and resume. Most hotels let you apply for jobs with an online application. Make sure it is polished, thorough and professional. The cover letter should express your personality, your enthusiasm and your seriousness for pursuing a career in the hotel management industry. Update your online application when you add new skills or new work experience.

Find the jobs. Job listings for hotel inspectors are found through the hotels, government agencies and independent review companies. For hotel jobs, you can apply directly on websites. You should also attend job fairs, network with other employees in the industry and browse the online classifieds. Major U.S. hotel chains include Marriott, Hyatt, Choice Hotels, Starwood Hotels, Intercontinental HG and Wyndham Worldwide.

Independent review agencies that inspect hotels for their reviews include Michelin, Zagat and AAA. There are also guidebooks that include hotel inspections such as Rough Guides, Frommer's, Fodor's and Lonely Planet.

While most hotels have internal quality-control teams, there are also quality assurance companies hired by the hotels to make sure their standards are up to the highest levels. These include Coyle Hospitality Group, LRA Worldwide and Leading Quality Assurance.

Every city government has an agency that inspects hotels to make sure they are following all the official codes and regulations. For government jobs, check the website for your city or county's department of building and safety.

There are also online job listing sites such as Monster.com, Yahoo! HotJobs, CareerBuilder.com and SimplyHired.com.