Author: Tad Wilkes – Wilkes Works
Use your set of skills to map out a career in hospitality.
For people beginning or considering a career in hospitality, charting the course may be daunting and discouraging. Whether it’s restaurants, hotels, retail, or other service-oriented realms, folks on the outside looking in may not know where to begin—or what the possibilities are for developing a fulfilling career.
Among those looking into careers in the industry, there are many personality types with different needs and goals. There’s the teenager working part-time in an ice cream parlor for weekend cash and concert tickets or to save up for a car. Or the adult waiting tables, biding time and getting a paycheck between “real” jobs (note: hospitality IS a real job). And the woman leaving her desk gig at an accounting firm to start working in a kitchen while training toward her dream role as chef. There’s even the aspiring food and beverage manager who could use a little experience in every role to develop as a leader.
In coming articles, we will delve with more focus into career development for particular types of professionals in different stages and roles in their careers. But for newcomers, let’s talk about getting in where you fit in.
Ask Yourself the Right Questions
When getting your feet wet, you’ll naturally look around and see what has worked for others and learn from that. But be careful also to take into account that everyone has different goals and needs. The course that has worked for them may not work for you. Ask yourself questions.
Why are you entering or considering the hospitality industry?
Maybe you truly are gritting your teeth and bearing a dishwashing gig for a while to make some money. Or perhaps you really do have a passion for service and strong people skills.
What are your innate, raw talents that bring you joy?
Those, plus a positive attitude and willingness to learn, are more coveted by savvy managers than someone with on-point experience who doesn’t have the other soft skills needed for a given position.
Consider whether you have patience, empathy, adaptability, flexibility, and attention to detail. If not, maybe your entry-level position is as far as you’ll want to go, opting instead for a different industry. Even those who don’t want to be customer-facing can find purpose and satisfaction in a restaurant, hotel, or other service setting.
While most hospitality positions require interpersonal skills, not everyone is in the front of the house. The industry is more than just waitstaff, greeters, and public-facing chefs. The back of the house is the engine that makes their service possible and is critical for great guest experiences. Depending on the organization’s size, hospitality needs marketing pros, recruiters, and more beyond the dining room.
You’ve Got to Start Somewhere
Are you drawn to the field of hospitality in general but still need to figure out where to start? Getting experience in as many areas of the business as you can best inform the direction your ambitions may take.
Start from scratch in the back of the house—prepping, washing dishes, or bussing tables—or out front as a server or greeter. Try different roles. Work your way up to the next position that feels right. But don’t feel pressured that your next move must be “upward.” Lateral moves can give you great experience and perspective, providing a valuable education for eventual managers.
What’s more, this experience develops empathy and understanding for teammates in other roles and insight into how the whole thing flows. No matter what your dream role is, this education will make you stronger in it.
Connect With a Mentor
Do you feel a rapport or connection with an experienced teammate or industry vet? Someone may have already seen you in action and offered constructive guidance. Ask them if they would mind fielding questions and offering advice. True mentors will be happy to share their wisdom, which is invaluable in informing your career decision-making. They can help bring clarity to confusion, enabling you to see the forest, not just the trees, in front of you today.
Are you starting to feel overwhelmed? Don’t. Here’s the happy secret: You don’t have to have your entire career mapped out yet. Your needs and goals may change and probably will. Your best move is to do the next right thing and be resilient and proactive. Everything else will fall into place.
Tad Wilkes is a veteran writer and editor covering the hospitality industry.