Careers in Hospitality
The hospitality sector includes many different types of businesses such as restaurants, pubs, clubs, hotels, contract catering and hospitality services.
Working in this industry requires good communication and interpersonal skills as well as patience, diplomacy and a customer focused attitude. It also requires a personality.
As well as the requirement for a wide variety of skills, it will undoubtedly involve hard work and long hours however, job progression and remuneration are good with much reward and satisfaction to be gained in this varied industry which includes;
Opportunities in restaurants which include management, chef work and waiting on roles
Pubs, bars and clubs offer opportunities in licensed operations, management, promotions and events management
Hotels offer management, event management, restaurant and bar work as well as a range of operational roles and support roles in finance, human resources and sales and marketing
Contract catering involves provision of professional food services to hospitals, schools, entertainment venues etc A career in contract catering, providing meals in schools and staff restaurants etc can be a nine to five job, whereas working in hotels, restaurants and pubs will probably mean working longer and more flexible hours
Events, conferences and meetings are big business with approx two thirds of which taking place in hotels, however, there are also opportunities within specialised event companies and venues
Salaries vary and depend on the size of the company and type of organisation. Packages may incorporate live in accommodation, profit related pay and discount schemes. Starting salaries for trainee hotel managers can range from £12,000 to £20,000 per annum but again vary from organisation to organisation.
When looking at courses in hospitality and tourism, there can seem to be a bewildering variety of course titles covering the main employment areas of travel, tourism, hotels and restaurants. Typical titles include:
• hospitality management
• international hospitality management
• hotel and catering management
Most hospitality related courses contain Industrial Placements or work related modules and most organisations offer one-year placements.
Generally, career development opportunities are good, although this depends on the individual organisation. It is not unusual for those embarking on a career in hospitality to start out in roles such as waiter in the restaurant or as part of the housekeeping team, though progression is usually rapid for good candidates.
The hospitality industry is represented by a number of professional bodies such as the Institute of Hospitality which can be found at
www.instituteofhospitality.org and also the British Hospitality Association and can be found at
www.bha.org.uk where you will find further information on this exciting industry!
Listed below are contact details for Careers Guidance Services, which may assist students during studies and career development.
1. SpringboardUK is the specialist careers service for the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries.
2. Careers A-Z is a free and independent website with links to careers information and jobs.
3. Connexions Direct provides guidance primarily for 13-19 year olds
4. Learndirect Careers Advice provides online information and phone call guidance on careers
6. People 1st the Sector Skills Council for the hospitality, leisure, tourism and related industries, provides information
on the industries it represents and information on the UK Skills Passport.
7. Prospects.ac.uk Provides interactive careers advice to graduates as well as jobs, postgraduate courses and
careers information.
Hospitality – it’s hard work, extremely varied and above all great fun when you’re with a team of people who all share your desire to succeed in whatever you turn your hand to.
Other links of interest and places to study are:
