Work two years, in each of three or more, different hospitality industry segments before deciding which one best fits your career goals
Your Career in the hospitality industry will be tremendously more interesting and rewarding if, as you begin your career, you carefully plan your path to success. Include formal “hospitality industry specific” education as a critically important element of your plan. Consistently follow your plan. Never just drift from opportunity to opportunity. Manage your career as if your future depends on it, because “It does”.
The hospitality industry is a vast network of interrelated but significantly different services. Whether an Executive Chef or a Certified Manager the basic requirements for each segment of the industry are very similar. However, each has its own unique, special needs. For example the basic skills needed to be a highly successful General Manager of a fine dinning establishment are quite similar to those required by a parks and concession manager. However, I’m certain you see clearly that each has its own very unique and very important requirements. A Director of hospital food services, while needing a basic food service background, has substantially more, very specific, needs i.e. dietary, patient services, emergency services etc. These needs are not at all applicable to a private club management position. Employee recruiting, training, supervision and career development for each segment is typically quite different.
The most effective hospitality industry professional will have substantial experience in several industry categories. Experiencing the nuances of a variety of segments gives a professional a significant advantage over an individual with a more narrow background. They are far more balanced in their ability to deal with problems and non traditional challenges as well as new opportunities. They have a far broader range of experiences to call upon when it comes time to solving problems. When planning, they will demonstrate greater vision and will be much more apt to introduce innovation. They will always display greater self-confidence and flexibility and be rewarded with greater acceptance.
Most young people enter the industry without any concept of what it’s all about. Because of that they are not able to effectively evaluate where they want their careers to take them. Don’t be one of them. We urge you to research and evaluate every aspect of the industry before setting your goals. Talk with industry leaders from each category. Determine the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Learn which one will best fit your long term career goals. Use the knowledge you acquire, to develop your own personal career plan. Document the entire plan in detail. Include every major opportunity you will need to become fully informed. Indicate what you will need to do to secure those experiences. Follow your plan with passion and professionalism.
Always keep in mind what you learn today will help you tomorrow. Learning to be the best dish washer, pantry person, line cook, kitchen manager, bar tender, restaurant manager, etc, in the world will help you solve nagging operational problems tomorrow. It will prepare you to be a better trainer in the future.
Learn everything you can; from food prep and plate presentation to kitchen manager, from purchasing management to waste control, from menu planning to kitchen management, from bar tender to general manager just to name a few. You will be an example for those coming up the career latter behind you.
In addition keep in mind every worker can either spoil or enhance your performance depending on their attitude, training and level of motivation. Never forget even that the most successful CEO or owner must rely on the attitude and performance of their staff for their success.
Learn everything you can about the industry and all the jobs in it. Learn to be the best trainer/motivator you possibly can be. This will assure you of personal success and prosperity. Learning to be a great hourly person today will help you immeasurably in the future, in more ways than you can imagine.
Always be flexible. Take advantage of every opportunity for a “learning experience”. Always maintain an open mind to change and above all make certain to maintain balance in your experience, knowledge and skills.
Once you have obtained a strong working knowledge of hourly functions and of at least three industry segments, reevaluate your career objectives. Determine if you want to commit your career to one of those three or to gain even more experience by working in still more parts of the industry. No matter your decision make certain to, once again, talk with industry leaders who are qualified to accurately tell you what you need to know about their industry segment. Make certain to update your plan. Establish time lines for accomplishing your adjusted goals.
You are approaching a time in your life when you need to establish benchmarks and time lines for selecting the industry segment you want as your chosen career.
Recognizing your opportunities and preparing for them
It is indeed unusual to find a truly balance career professional in the hospitality Industy. You will not be a top achiever in the industry however, unless you have balance in your career. Issues to consider i.e.:
Current and in-depth knowledge of exactly what the various segments of the industry are. Are you driven to gain experience in several of those categories?
Do you have a clear, documented career plan (path)?
Do you consistently follow your career plan and remain flexible and open to change?
Do you perform objective evaluations of every opportunity available to you?
Do you demonstrate a willingness to take chances by seeking new challenges? Are you continuously enhancing your operational and people skills?
Do you demonstrate extraordinary, strong work ethics, committment and diligence?
Are you consistently focused on personal and professional performance and growth?
It is extremely important that you honestly apply the above criteria as you evaluate you progress.
Major industry segments (Categories)
Consider what each requires and the quality of the career it can provide you:
Tourism - Coffee Shops - Vending - Health Care - Lodging - Casinos - Deli's - Catering Retirement Centers - Fine Dining - Commissaries - Institutional - Event Centers - Casual Dining School Food Service - Bakeries - Retail Take-Out - Quick Service - Parks and Concessions - Private Clubs -Nutrition Services - Air line/Train/Cruise Ships - Military - Home Delivery – Central Production Kitchens – Contract Management and more
Areas of common skills:
Basic food Preparation
Basic presentation
Basic Food handling safety
General menu planning
Basic accounting
People skills
Generic training
Generic governmental controls/regulations
Basic computer skills
Written and oral communication
Basic marketing
Basic management techniques
General public relations
General margin and profit control
Basic money handling and security
Areas of specialized skills:
In depth nutrition knowledge
Food distribution
Packaging knowledge/experience
Specific (targeted) menu development
Advanced accounting
Special transient labor relations skills
Extended career development skills
Client relations/contract management
Advanced computer skills
Proposal writing and client reporting
Specialized marketing
Multi unit management skills/experience
Client and customer In-depth public relations skills
Advanced budgeting, re-forecasting and reporting
Advanced security of all types inc. client interface
The criterion above represents only a few of the most common as well as some unique skills required by various industry categories. As you progress in your industry research you will learn that each area requires many additional specialized skills and experiences.
What is the significance of all this to your career?
Very often an outstanding employee and/or manager in one industry segment is not effective in another. Productivity measurements, cost controls, menu planning, security, marketing, accountability, to name a few areas, are typically approached quite differently. Almost all areas of the hospitality industry offer outstanding opportunities for career development and personal growth. Each has its own career appeal. You will find wages in the different segments can vary substantially. The average length a professional remains in one position is often very different.
Schedules, vacations and benefits, support structures and resources, depth of accountability both personal and operational, frequency of changing cities and many others issues differ tremendously. How all of these issues will affect you and your family must be considered as you select a specific industry category as your career field. Your career will demand a great deal of you. Because of that it must be consistent with your personal life and professional goals and needs.
We have strongly urged you to include substantial industry diversity as part your career growth. Doing this will make your decision much easier. It will dramatically improve the odds of your first choice being the right one for you and for your loved ones.
The first and most important step that must be taken is to make an honest, firm commitment, “to yourself”, to become an outstanding achiever. Being a high achiever and leader in any business career field is much more easily obtained if you acquire a forma education. This needs to be a career long commitment. It should include a Hotel Restaurant Degree and/or Certified, Executive Chef Degree, if at all possible. Once you have a formal education/degree (and even if you do not) a career long commitment to continuing education, available in a number of formats, is an absolute necessity to assure career growth, self satisfaction and an attractive level of income.
We recommend that you expand your research, thoroughly study and generally recognize all segments of the industry. Attend association trade shows, work shops and social events. Visit selected operations near you. Choose several segments you find particularly interesting or think you might enjoy. Talk with a diverse group leaders as well as hourly employees from each. Digest everything you have learned. Record and apply your observations wisely.
Warning: Make certain you don’t fall into the typical, all too comfortable, trap. . . .staying too long in one facility or job. Once you have a general knowledge of the nuances of a position follow your plan, move on to another. Follow this career model (plan) until you a have worked in at least three distinctly different categories of the broader hospitality industry. Only then are you prepared to make a knowledgeable assessment of what you’re most logical career choices are.
You may choose the glamour of a life at sea, as the Executive Chef of a cruise liner or a Resident General Manager of fine international hotel. You may feel staying home each night, working in your home town suites you best. In that case you might elect to pursue a food service director position in local hospital or educational institution. You may enjoy nature and/or the excitement of crowds; in that scenario you would be well advised to choose parks and concessions for your career. Frequent change in positions and locations may appeal to you, if that is your criteria contract management may be very appealing.
No matter your passion, desired life style or economic objectives, if you truly enjoy people and like to serve, the hospitality industry has a wonderful career opportunity waiting to help you fulfill you fondest desires and reward you with financial security.
Before actually meeting with this group of leaders make a list of every question you can possibly think of. The first time you meet ask only pertinent questions about the career opportunities, challenges and typical difficulties in their area of the industry. Create opportunities to meet again whether formally or socially. Ask them to tell you why you should consider their chosen segment. Listen carefully; try to take notes on everything you hear. After each meeting document what you think you learned, send a copy to your host. Ask them if your observations/perceptions are accurate. Your goal here is to make certain you understand everything you are told. After all, your future depends on making an appropriate choice.
The experience will make you a much more rounded and balanced professional. You will find very few problems ever catch you completely off guard or cause you any significant concern. When new and better opportunities come your way you will feel much more confident in your ability to take advantage of them. You will exude self-confidence and inspire trust. Others will want you on their team and/or want to be on your team.
Take a job in the area you feel fits your abilities and personality best. Work all the hours you can. Encourage your employer to move you from job to job within his/her organization. Tell them you are evaluating their segment of the industry as your final career choice.
Be a sponge, soak up all the knowledge you can. Gain all the experience you can. All of this is money in the bank to you. You are going to school on your employer. If they see sincerity, strong work ethics and an aggressive performance they will do everything they can to keep you on their team.
