The hospitality industry has long been one of the biggest industries in the UK. In 2019, it contributed £59.3billion to the UK economy. Whilst it took a hit during the pandemic, it soon got back up onto its feet with hospitality industry jobs coming close to record highs at the end of 2021.
So before you start working on your master plan to start your hospitality career, let’s get clear on exactly what this industry has to offer.
Today, we’re covering:
- Why choose hospitality?
- 6 places to find hospitality jobs
- Top skills for your CV
Why choose hospitality?
1. No experience necessary
If you’ve got itchy feet and want to start your career ASAP, hospitality is a fantastic industry for that. Although having a qualification can be an advantage, it’s not a necessity and many people kickstart their hospitality career in the UK without any experience. Employers will often train you on the job, opening the door for you to work your way up the ladder.
2. Fast progression
Hospitality is one of those industries that allow you to progress quickly. It’s not like regular jobs where you need to graft for many years before receiving a promotion. So long as you get stuck in and show you’re driven, you’ll progress quicker than you can say promotion!
3. Varied work
Hospitality is a vibrant, fast-moving industry. No two days are the same, meaning you gain a wide variety of skills. From serving people to creating atmosphere to handling health and safety, hospitality is a real mixed bag!
4. People-facing
If you love being around people, you’ll love hospitality – it’s a people business! It’s all about creating unforgettable experiences and serving people to the best of your ability. Because of the nature of the work, you’ll develop your emotional intelligence and communication skills.
5. Experience the luxury
Hospitality is full of luxury experiences. If you play your cards right, you could land yourself some awesome jobs working in 5* environments like retreats, award-winning restaurants or the finest hotels in the most stunning locations.
6 places to find hospitality jobs
Hospitality jobs come in all different shapes and sizes, and many of them can lead into management. But here are some of the most common places you can expect to find live jobs:
- Restaurants/catering – waitress/waiter, server, chef, kitchen porter, restaurant supervisor, restaurant manager
- Hotels – porter, concierge, hotel manager
- Airlines – air steward, cabin crew
- Events – host, events coordinator, events manager
- Catering – waiter/waitress, business development manager, catering manager
- Pubs and bars – bartender, barback, supervisor, manager
Top skills for your CV
- Customer service
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Numeracy
- Working under pressure
Customer service
It goes without saying that potential employers need to see this skill on your CV before even thinking of offering you an interview. Share any experiences you’ve had with dealing with customers either face to face or on the phone.
Communication
To succeed in hospitality, you need to be an excellent communicator who can interact with people from all different walks of life, sometimes dealing with unhappy customers. If you can put a smile on people’s faces, you’ve got half the job done!
Problem-solving
Problems arise all the time in hospitality, so you need to be able to think on your feet and solve problems on the go. This isn’t the type of job where you should ask a supervisor for help with every little issue. They need people with good initiative who can tackle problems head on.
Numeracy
Most hospitality jobs involve handling cash, which means you may need to use a bit of maths here and there. You don’t need to be Albert Einstein, but being able to quickly add and subtract in your head is going to be an advantage.
Working under pressure
Naturally, hospitality jobs can get pretty busy. When the crowds of customers come, you need to be able to keep your cool, think quickly and prioritise your work.
Hospitality at your fingertips!
Has reading this blog made you want to jump straight in? Great! There’s no better way to get started in hospitality than by using the SonicJobs app. We have thousands of hospitality jobs across the UK waiting for you to apply.
All you need to do is download the app, and apply with 1 tap. How’s that for service?!