Having just written a résumé for a part-time actor and musician, and full-time bar owner I decided to write an article on pursuing opportunities in the exciting and bustling world of the hospitality industry.
For sure, there is no shortage of high-end restaurants, clubs, and theaters in New York. With those things come a never ending flurry of visitors – from all over the world. If you are one that loves the nightlife, loves to boogie and is considered to be royalty of social networking by friends and family alike, then perhaps a career in hospitality is just the thing for you. You will use all of your networking and social skills, relationship building capabilities, organization and detail orientation, and extroverted nature in a professional role in hotel and restaurant management.
Working in a management capacity in a hotel or restaurant requires the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. You must exhibit exceptional customer service skills and the ability to motivate a staff. A big component of the position is leveraging social skills to engage customers and generate new business. Of course, you also must be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of how to increase sales and drive profits. In this position you will no doubt come into contact with a diverse and dynamic group of people from all walks of life. There is plenty of room for advancement. Be aware though that this is not a traditional 9-5 job, and will require weekend work and extended hours.
Education:Johnson & Wales University, New England Culinary Institute, and Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America are just a few of the top-ranked schools with programs dedicated to careers in the hospitality arena.
Academic training is very important; but experience is the best teacher in this field. In order to be well rounded and really develop an understanding of the expectations necessary for success, consider working in the industry early on to really give you a flavor of what it takes to prepare you for a management role within a restaurant or hotel. This practical business knowledge combined with classroom experiences will help round out your skills and reduce the learning curve once a full-time position is obtained. There is nothing like first hand experience to help you fully understand expectations.
Practical Training: To build the experience, consider getting a position as server or bartender, which will give you a strong understanding of front of house operations and customer service. It will also be important to learn what goes on behind the scenes. For that, you might consider spending some time in the kitchen. You will definitely come to understand the meaning of timeliness, and when the time comes to manage a restaurant, you will have greatly improved knowledge of what needs to happen in the kitchen to ensure a smooth running operation. Working in a hotel? Try a front desk position to gain the full customer service experience. There is a lot of troubleshooting that takes place in the role, and you will certainly develop improved problem resolution skills.
Salary Information: What can you expect to earn? There are a lot of variables when you consider that there are different disciplines within the industry overall. If you are young in the restaurant business with about two to four years of experience the average salary ranges from approximately $30,000 to $42,900; with four to six years of experience you can earn as much as $54,000; if you work in the hotel industry, after seven years the salary jumps to between $64,500 and $119,000. You can even earn well into the six figures – especially if you work for a higher end establishment and advance your knowledge of fine wine through a certificate or other programs. Naturally, where you live and the type of establishment you work for play a big role in determining salary.
Resources: EHS Hospitality Group is a well-known large company that places candidates in restaurant and hotel management positions. Read about them on the web. You can also check out Global Hospitality Executive Recruiters or Gecko Hospitality.
Debra Wheatman, president of Careers Done Write, is globally recognized as an expert in advanced career search techniques.Photo credit: Shutterstock
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
Bigstock
Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
Bigstock
In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
Bigstock
You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
Having just written a résumé for a part-time actor and musician, and full-time bar owner I decided to write an article on pursuing opportunities in the exciting and bustling world of the hospitality industry.
For sure, there is no shortage of high-end restaurants, clubs, and theaters in New York. With those things come a never ending flurry of visitors – from all over the world. If you are one that loves the nightlife, loves to boogie and is considered to be royalty of social networking by friends and family alike, then perhaps a career in hospitality is just the thing for you. You will use all of your networking and social skills, relationship building capabilities, organization and detail orientation, and extroverted nature in a professional role in hotel and restaurant management.
Working in a management capacity in a hotel or restaurant requires the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. You must exhibit exceptional customer service skills and the ability to motivate a staff. A big component of the position is leveraging social skills to engage customers and generate new business. Of course, you also must be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of how to increase sales and drive profits. In this position you will no doubt come into contact with a diverse and dynamic group of people from all walks of life. There is plenty of room for advancement. Be aware though that this is not a traditional 9-5 job, and will require weekend work and extended hours.
Education:Johnson & Wales University, New England Culinary Institute, and Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America are just a few of the top-ranked schools with programs dedicated to careers in the hospitality arena.
Academic training is very important; but experience is the best teacher in this field. In order to be well rounded and really develop an understanding of the expectations necessary for success, consider working in the industry early on to really give you a flavor of what it takes to prepare you for a management role within a restaurant or hotel. This practical business knowledge combined with classroom experiences will help round out your skills and reduce the learning curve once a full-time position is obtained. There is nothing like first hand experience to help you fully understand expectations.
Practical Training: To build the experience, consider getting a position as server or bartender, which will give you a strong understanding of front of house operations and customer service. It will also be important to learn what goes on behind the scenes. For that, you might consider spending some time in the kitchen. You will definitely come to understand the meaning of timeliness, and when the time comes to manage a restaurant, you will have greatly improved knowledge of what needs to happen in the kitchen to ensure a smooth running operation. Working in a hotel? Try a front desk position to gain the full customer service experience. There is a lot of troubleshooting that takes place in the role, and you will certainly develop improved problem resolution skills.
Salary Information: What can you expect to earn? There are a lot of variables when you consider that there are different disciplines within the industry overall. If you are young in the restaurant business with about two to four years of experience the average salary ranges from approximately $30,000 to $42,900; with four to six years of experience you can earn as much as $54,000; if you work in the hotel industry, after seven years the salary jumps to between $64,500 and $119,000. You can even earn well into the six figures – especially if you work for a higher end establishment and advance your knowledge of fine wine through a certificate or other programs. Naturally, where you live and the type of establishment you work for play a big role in determining salary.
Resources: EHS Hospitality Group is a well-known large company that places candidates in restaurant and hotel management positions. Read about them on the web. You can also check out Global Hospitality Executive Recruiters or Gecko Hospitality.
Debra Wheatman, president of Careers Done Write, is globally recognized as an expert in advanced career search techniques.Photo credit: Shutterstock
