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With restrictions lifting, the hospitality industry is looking towards a bright future. Employers will be looking for new, keen-to-work staff to help them recover from the impact of the pandemic. With this increase in vacancies, now is the perfect time for anyone looking to get their start in the world of hospitality. But it’s important to remember that these roles require the right mindset, a desire to work, and a willingness to dive right in and learn the trade. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when beginning your new career path in the world of hospitality.
Hospitality is unique in that one role can include undertaking tasks from different departments. For instance, you may be hired as part of the Food & Beverage team but because you’ll be tasked with the upkeep of the bar/restaurant area, you will likely be required to take on cleaning accountabilities. With that in mind, it’s important to begin your new job willing to help out with things that might not directly apply to your role.
This can also help you learn more about the different elements of the industry. Taking on these different tasks gives you an insight into how each department works to provide the best experience possible for your customers. Offer to help out in the kitchen and serving; lend a hand with the cleaning and housekeeping; take part in covering the front-of-house team when someone isn’t available. Taking on different job aspects of these positions can only help you improve.
Like with any job, the people you work with are the people you will spend most of your time with throughout the week. With that in mind, it’s important to build strong relationships with your colleagues. Your team is working towards a common goal: providing a quality service that your customers will remember and recommend, and the only way you will achieve that goal is by working together.
Spend some time with your fellow team members and build a relationship with them. Also, make sure to learn as much about their role as you can. The more you know about what a person does in their role, the more you will see how their role functions within the organisation.
Hospitality is a very unique industry, with a wide number of practices and tasks specific to different types of roles. So, one of the biggest tasks you’ll find when getting started is learning the various terms and words used to help keep operations running swiftly and smoothly.
This is specific to every aspect of hospitality: there are code words and terms to be found for food & beverage, kitchen, and general hotel work. Coming into this new world with all these different phrases being shouted out all around you can be overwhelming, so try and spend some time learning these phrases to help you better understand both yours and other people’s tasks.
The great advantage of working in hospitality is that there is a huge number of divisions within the industry. There are so many different avenues your career can follow within this huge sector, which makes your early days in the industry a great time to decide which path you want to take. As we mentioned above, spending time learning the different teams and divisions of your team is a great way to build relationships and improve your knowledge. But it’s also a great way to get familiar with different hospitality roles and discover what you enjoy the most.
It could be that you enjoy interacting with customers and would like to move into a front-of-house position, or that you like the fast-paced environment of working behind the bar. You may find that you like being part of the housekeeping team, or that you enjoy working behind the scenes in the Kitchen. Take some time to think about what you enjoy and where you think your career would be best suited.
Also consider the types of settings that you’re keen to work in. From café’s to chain restaurants, to Michelin star establishments; the breadth of opportunities are endless. There’s no harm in working on a temporary basis for your first few years to ‘try out’ different settings. Developing and honing your skills in different settings can really push your capabilities and enhance your skills set!
This applies to any job that you first start in, but it’s especially true when entering the world of hospitality. You must begin your new career on the right foot, and for that, you will need to enter your new role keen to work, ready to learn, and willing to take on any task given. When your customers leave, their interactions with you and your teams will be the biggest takeaway of their time at your establishment, so you must always be working with the right mindset to provide the best service possible.
If you’re looking for more support or advice on how to kick start your hospitality career then reach out to our team today.
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