The hospitality industry can be a vibrant and glamorous field—its future is looking bright. In the past year, hospitality employment has increased, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a 17 percent peak in wage and salary employment by 2014. Within the leisure and hospitality sectors, employment in food services and drinking establishments continued to trend up in November 2013 adding more than 18,000 jobs with job growth averaging 28,000 jobs per month in the previous 12 months. In order to leverage this opportunity, hospitality job seekers should adopt the highly effective “system” that has helped more than 100,000 individuals find a new job.
This system is based on the concept that if you focus more on the job search process, and less on getting the job, you will get better results. Whether you want to land a job as a hotel general manager, hotel clerk, convention planner, concierge, maitre d’, or gaming dealer, this three-step program can empower you to master the process of finding the job of your dreams.
1. Create a list to generate job leads
Create a list of anyone you know who could help generate job leads—friends, family, neighbors, schoolmates, teammates, or club/society members. Contact everyone on your list and ask them if they are hiring or know someone who is. If your first round of phone calls, texts, or emails fails to yield anything, contact everyone on your list 30 to 45 days later. Keep in mind that at least 60 percent of all jobs are found by networking.
2. List employers you might be interested in
Create a list of every business that might be interested in someone with your skills and experience. Some businesses may include hotels, restaurants, bars, and casinos. Finding work is a full-time job, so expect to make 40 to 50 calls to companies each day. The harder you strive, the more “luck” you’ll have.
3. Dedicate time to preparing for interviews
When your efforts pay off, nailing the interview begins with a considerable amount of preparation:
• Find out exactly what the company wants from a job candidate
• Learn as much as you can about the company to help you answer interview questions and develop questions to ask the interviewer
• Make a list of your assets and match them to the job requirements
• Create a list of your skills, experiences, and professional qualifications that you can expand on with real-life examples or anecdotes during the interview
If you want to be one of the many people working in the hospitality industry today, the best way to prepare for success is to prepare well for every interview. Practice answering questions so that you won’t be caught off guard, and review your notes prior to the interview so that you can be relaxed and articulate.