What Do Hospitality Professionals Do?
If you love travelling, food, variety in your work and meeting new people then why not consider a career in the hospitality industry? It’s an industry that is continually growing and offers a wide range of different career paths.
What is Hospitality ?
Hospitality is the business of welcoming people and helping them have the best time possible.
Hospitality covers a broad range of sectors and careers including the accommodation, restaurants, cafes, bars, theme parks, airlines, cruise ships, caravan parks, bed and breakfasts and tourist attractions.
A career in the hospitality industry can have you working in a multitude of different roles all around the world, and provides you with a unique opportunity for travel. To succeed in the industry, you will need to be prepared to work in a fast-paced environment.
Other key skills you will need include a commitment to customer service, good inter-personal and problem-solving skills, organisational skills and be willing to work as part of a team. You will also need to be flexible as hours can vary considerably from the traditional 9 to 5 workday.
“A career in the hospitality industry can have you working in a multitude of different roles all around the world, and provides you with a unique opportunity for travel.”
What Qualifications do I Need?
Hospitality training courses range from short courses, certificates, diplomas, right through to undergraduate Bachelor degrees. You can often complete many of these courses while you work.
A great introduction to the industry is the Certificate III in Hospitality, which will teach you a number of practical and management skills including working with others in a hospitality service, providing quality customer service and participating in safe work practices. Other things you could learn include food safety, housekeeping and reception duties.
If you are ready to broaden your horizons, consider the Certificate IV in Hospitality, designed to expand on your operational and management strategies. You will learn how to manage budgets, maintain business profitability. You can also learn about food safety, preparing financial reports and designing and producing business documents.
If you are looking to lead teams and deliver in-demand services in the hospitality industry, then choose the Diploma of Hospitality. This course equips you with the skills required to operate independently, have responsibility for others and make a range of operational business decisions in a wide variety of potential roles. You will also be trained in leadership, event planning, writing operational plans, managing finances and service delivery.
To increase your employability and chances of success, you can also follow up with other related courses such as event management, or hotel management.
Where Will it Take me?
The Hospitality and Tourism sector is currently experiencing a boom with the Federal Government predicting an additional 49,000 roles by 2017.
With a skills shortage across this fast-paced sector, there are a wide variety of employment opportunities available. Some typical job opportunities include:
- Bar attendant
- Waiter
- Concierge
- Chef
- Catering Manager
- Café or Restaurant Manager
- Holiday Park Manager
- Cruise Director
- Sales and Marketer
The great news is that the above jobs can be found all around the world — from hotels and resorts, pubs and restaurants, cafes and bars. Or you may elect to set up your very own restaurant, hotel, motel, pub or café.
So if you have a passion for serving others, and want to work in a rewarding industry that offers nearly limitless opportunities for employment and career progression, consider the hospitality industry. With unprecedented demand for skilled hospitality professionals, now’s the time to get qualified.