Many people decide that pursuing a career in hospitality is the right choice for them. Requiring high levels of interpersonal skill and the ability to be able to deal with customers or clients professionally; it’s a great career choice for those well-suited to this skill set.
Perhaps you have just finished school or university and you are looking to start a job in the hospitality sector, or maybe you are looking for a change of direction and want to move away from your current career. If any of these apply to you then why not consider looking for one of the three different job types below.
Restaurants
This could cover the full working team, from the waiters and waitresses out front who is dealing with the customers, to those creating and preparing the food in the kitchen. Both options are highly rewarding yet very challenging roles. If you are new to working with food then it’s important to try and gain some experience working in a kitchen – you’re more likely to secure a paid position this way.
Potential waiters and waitresses need to be able to demonstrate a friendly, polite approach, and obviously this will change depending on the type of restaurant that you work in. Be prepared to research where you are going if a potential employer offers you a trial shift!
Retail
Working in a shop is another highly rewarding occupation that throws up very different, challenging situations each and every day. Dealing with customer queries, helping to decide how to lay out the shop and learning about the very latest products to go on sale are all things that you will learn how to deal with, and again you will need to demonstrate an ability to do this if you are new to working in the retail sector.
Again, the type of shop you can work in varying wildly in terms of cost, products and customer base, so it is important that if you are looking to gain lots of experience in different environments then you should be able to adapt to any type of situation which may arise.
Hotels
As a member of staff for a hotel you have the responsibility of upholding the values of your hotel chain and creating an experience for your customers that they are going to leave feeling really positive about. With customer reviews being so important to the hotel industry, and with sites likes Tripadvisor has the potential to make or break hotel businesses, working in this sector comes with a lot of responsibility.
Positions in the hotel are really varied, from those meetings and greeting, those those working in the bar, for cleaning staff and those bringing guests’ bags to their rooms. However, all of these roles have something in common – the requirement to be able to deal with all types of customers calmly and professionally at all times.
About the Author
Amelie White works as a consultant in hospitality recruitment and prides herself on finding the very best candidates for the job roles her clients task her with.