Leading the Hospitality Charge

There is a drive among managers and employers in the hospitality industry to change their way of thinking. No longer do hospitality professionals need to cut their teeth toiling as hotel concierges before moving on to jobs like event planning or catering.

However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to be realistic as you enter the field, looking to score a mid-to-senior-level management position just because you have a degree. There is no substitute for experience, and you need to have a little of that before you leap into big-time jobs.

However, there is a way for you to get ahead as you enter the hospitality field and gain an advantage over the less experienced among you. It certainly isn’t scoring the glamor positions right off the bat, but with some hard work, sacrifice, and patience, you may just find yourself sitting pretty a few years down the road.

Get Started in the Hospitality Industry

David Kennedy, Director of Human Resources of InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco, said that while that easing on the old, stilted way of thinking is great, the success of the industry has led to more competition. “Since the industry is doing so well, and more schools have hospitality programs, there is a lot of competition for jobs in key disciplines,” he said.

He recommends job seekers be willing to take entry-level positions like front desk agents, sales or catering coordinators, or entry supervisory or lead positions in food and beverage. This gives you as a supervisor/leader context as to what the workers under you will experience. “It’s important to learn the business from the ground up to understand what hourly employees go through and what guests want,” he said.

While you certainly want goals, it’s important not to let your ambition cause you to look past your current job and to the next one. “Many newer people, especially the younger generation, are always looking toward their next role and want to ‘get through the initial job without showing they have a mastery for it,” he said. It’s important to focus on the job you have and develop the expertise that will let you move on to the next job.

Looking for the Right Hospitality Job for You

When you’re setting out to find your first hospitality job, go after positions like front desk agent, or find an administrative or support position in sales, catering, or conference services to get your foot in the door and gain some much-needed experience. Those going into food and beverage should pursue any type of entry-level management spot. In the absence of those positions, consider even becoming a server, busser, food runner, or perhaps something in the culinary or accounting fields. “They will all be good moves for you,” Kennedy noted.

More than anything, remember that what you put into your career is what you get out of it. Give your full effort, you’ll get that in return, Kennedy said.

“Whatever you do, give it 110 percent, and you’ll shine,” he said. “And quickly be recognized and probably promoted!”

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