Have you ever noticed the quality of service when you go to a fancy restaurant? The restaurant staff all give an excellent level of service, and they are very polished in their manners and grooming. Many staff members that we don’t even come into contact with a big contributors to a restaurant’s success.
The food and restaurant industry is rumoured to grow 12 percent each year providing approximately 1.9 million jobs, of which about 47,000 are at management level. About one-third of adults have worked in some kind of restaurant at some point in their life.
Skilled and experienced staff are a great asset to the restaurant industry. Most people get their skills from years of experience but having formal training on top of this is the best way to get a higher renumeration.
The food and restaurant industry have many areas where someone could specialize in such as marketing, human resources, customer relations, business/accounting services or food technology. Hospitality Management schools offer courses in any of these areas but someone with a diploma in business and who also has management experience could also qualify for a position somewhere in the industry. Most of the hospitality courses take anywhere from 2-4 years to complete depending on the school and this includes the training you want to specialize in. Some colleges offer interships and co-op programs. Also, some restaurants even offer their own training programs which is a great way to learn as you get the needed experience for a great career.
There are many different areas to consider working in if you train in the restaurant and hotel industry such as admininistration, culinary services, hotel maintenace and marketing. A manager’s duties besides learning different functions of all the departments including the kitchen, bar and banquet serivces, also includes the hiring of employees and the overseeing of them. This industry also requires housekeeping staff who are usually required to work shifts which are suited to a person who can work under these conditions. There are also many important positions just in the kitchen in the restaurant such as the food and beverage manager, chef or overseeing the other kitchen staff.
Like working in other industries, the hotel and restaurant industry requires devotion and hard work whether you’re in a management position or work under management. Customer service standards are always high and seem to be getting higher in today’s society. All employees should be clean, well groomed and polite. They should always be aware of the latest ways to improve their customer service and improve business.
Always show off your great personality if you’re working with the public. This will help to form a great relationship with your customers. If the hospitality industry appeals to you and are thinking about a career in it, there are many great schools to choose from and many great places to work which could be close to home or around the world. It could take you anywhere you would like to be!
