Starting a career in hospitality – everything you need to know
IS THIS the best job ad ever? Not only to you keep fit, have fun, meet new people and pick your hours, you can also get free food!
Sounds too good to be true? It’s possible in the hospitality industry.
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HAVE a taste to find out more? Here’s all you need to know from Sun Jobs.
What is the hospitality industry and what kind of jobs are available?
The UK's hospitality industry is the nation’s third largest employer and contributes £93 billion annually to the economy.
Hospitality covers a vast range of areas from coffee shops and cafes to bars, restaurants, hotels and clubs.
The types of jobs available are enormous too.
You could work as front of house staff, in a management or admin role or behind the scenes as a chef or technician.
What are the best things about working in hospitality?
There are many reasons which make hospitality a truly unique sector.
Firstly, it’s one area where you don’t need set qualifications to get started.
You can join in an entry-level job and progress very quickly to supervisory and management roles.
Some C-suite staff in big name corporations began by waiting tables.
The professional training and development on offer throughout the industry is excellent and if you like to travel, you can work in hotels and resorts abroad or on cruise ships or private jets.
Finally if you need flexible hours, hospitality will deliver. There are contracts for full and part time, weekend, evening and overnight working, Just choose the one which suits you.
Isn’t hospitality just for young people?
Not at all. More than 165,000 workers over 50 have joined the hospitality sector in the last three years, according to a recent report from industry platform .
People over 50 now make up over a third of the sector’s workforce. Only this week, hotel chain Hilton launched a recruitment drive targeting over 50s who want to travel more, as travel perks are part of the firm’s job package.
What skills and qualifications do I need to work in hospitality?
The qualifications will depend on the role you are going for.
A hotel manager will need different training to a barista, so the best place to start is at .
You can get qualified at every level from basic Level 2 apprenticeships right up to professional degrees.
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