When picking a first job, hospitality and retail roles seem to be the natural places to start. However, we think that these exciting industries don’t always receive due credit; after all, both pathways have the potential to unlock incredible careers!
To illuminate just how far an entry level role in hospitality can take you, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide to navigating first jobs, career progression, and that pesky application process!
Get Familiar with the Hospitality Industry
If we want to get historical for a second, we can trace the origins of hospitality all the way back to ancient Greece. Essentially, the Greek word ‘Xenia’ relates to the ancient concept of hospitality and roughly translates to ‘guest-friendship’ or ‘ritualised-friendship.’ The basic rule attached to this concept is respect, both from guest to host and host to guest.
This notion remains in the hospitality industry today. In short, the industry is all about making people feel welcome and respected and improving the days of others! As this can be done in all kinds of service careers, the hospitality umbrella covers a variety of different roles in areas such as restaurants, hotels, and more.
For the sake of today’s article, we’re going to be focusing on the food and beverage side of the hospitality industry and showing you just how far an entry level career can take you! So, if you’ve ever wondered if a future in service is for you, allow us to clear a few things up.
Why Choose a Hospitality Career
Hospitality employees are always in high demand, and thus, service professionals will be able to find exciting, rewarding opportunities all across the globe! That’s not all, either; hospitality staff also benefit from:
- Accessing Boundless Opportunities for Career Advancement
- Learning Globally Transferrable Skills
- Choosing From a Variety of Roles
- Working Alongside People from All Over the World
- Building Up Your Soft Skills
Common Entry-Level Hospitality Jobs
With all those enticing perks in mind, you’ll likely wonder how soon you can start! The good news is that there are tonnes of entry-level hospitality positions available now, and we’ve put together a list to help you choose the right opportunity for you.
Dish Washer
While this job might not sound super glamorous, dish-washing roles are perfect for people wanting to break into the hospitality industry (and when you’re working with a cool in-kitchen team, it’s fun too)! What’s more, the responsibilities of a dish washer are perfectly suited to introverts wanting to crack the hospitality scene; this way, you don’t have to start out in customer service.
In addition to cleaning plates, cups and silverware, dish washers must also know how to prioritise, work quickly, and stay on top of their workload. This means that employees in this role will also pick up soft skills that can be utilised if they choose to move up the hospitality ladder.
Waiter/Waitress
Waiter/waitress roles are what most people think of when they think of the hospitality industry, and for good reason too; they’re super popular among aspiring hospo pros!
As the job is firmly rooted in customer service, it’s best suited to extroverts and those who love interacting with others. If you choose this role, your responsibilities will most likely involve greeting guests, taking orders, and making sure all communication between customers and the kitchen is clear and timely.
Those with experience as a waiter/waitress are often fantastic communicators who thrive in people facing roles. When you’re just starting out, it might take a little time to hone your people skills, but you can feel confident that this kind of role will significantly improve your communication style!
Barista
If you can’t get through your morning without an extra-large latte, a career in drink-making might be perfect for you!
Baristas make and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea and specialty beverages. While they’re usually glued to the coffee machine, some cafes require baristas to take payment and run the drinks as well. In this sense, barista roles offer a lot of variation and keep your day-to-day operations exciting.
What’s more, barista careers can take you further than you might think. Did we mention there’s even a World Barista Championship in which the very best baristas battle it out? Pretty cool, right?
Prep Cook
Aspiring chefs would find a lot of value in an entry-level prep cook role! Think of this job as the first step you take towards a full-blown culinary career a la Jamie Oliver.
A prep cook’s usual responsibilities revolve around basic culinary tasks, kitchen organisation, and planning. For instance, you’ll likely be labelling and stocking ingredients, washing and chopping vegetables, reducing sauces, sanitising surfaces, and a lot more!
Essentially, if you see Michelin stars in your future, this is the perfect springboard role.
Try Working Your Way to These Rewarding Roles
If you see yourself going all the way in the hospitality industry, there are a tonne of different pathways you can take and opportunities for advancement. For instance, you could find yourself working as a:
Chef
We know this one’s a little obvious, but it’s a classic dream job for a reason. Whether you were inspired by Hell’s Kitchen, or just love cooking with family and friends, there are a million reasons to want to fill the bellies of others with delicious food.
Restaurant Manager
If you like the corporate side of things (or see yourself running a fancy restaurant), a career in restaurant management might be perfect for you! Restaurant managers hire and train staff, create work schedules and deal with any problems or concerns in the establishment. It’s a lot of power and a lot of responsibility!
Food and Beverage Director
Want to spend your days planning menus, managing catering and overseeing the entire food and beverage department of your company? Look no further; a food and beverage director role will be perfect for you!
How to Land a Hospitality Job with No Experience
One of the best parts about the hospitality industry is that entry-level roles rarely require formal qualifications. Basically, this means you have the option of starting your career today!
However, if you’re about to embark on your career journey, we have a few tips to set you apart from other applicants with no experience. For instance;
- Improve your application with a stellar cover letter
- Watch a couple of YouTube videos on the role you’re applying for (just so you know what’s involved)
- Work on developing relevant skills in your own time
- If you land an interview, make sure you put your best foot forward
Start Your Hospitality Career Today!
With tonnes of tips and tricks under your belt, we think you’re ready to go out and discover just how far a hospitality career can really take you.
P.S. If you need some more inspiration, head over to our hospitality or food and beverage services industry pages; we have a tonne of incredible employers who would love to help you start your hospitality journey!
