If you are like any normal student who did not score full rides to college, you probably had work to do while in school. You may have had the babysitter gig, been a waiter, bussed tables, delivered pizzas, or something else related to service.
You also probably never thought you would do anything remotely similar to that job once you got into the “real world” as they call it. Most of these jobs are serving people, and are categorized in the Hospitality industry.
While you may have not ever imagined yourself in one of these environments full-time, I am going to show you 10 reasons why a career in hospitality may be the right fit for you.
The Top 10 Reasons Hospitality Is The Right Path For You
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Challenging And Fast-Paced Environment
Do you ever feel like it is groundhog day? You get up, brush your teeth, take a shower (I hope), go to school/work and learn/do the same things, come home, watch Netflix while eating dinner and go to bed. Any job in Hospitality is so far removed from this concept that if it were a planet, it would be farther from the sun than Pluto! Each day is a new day with new challenges. If you prefer to do the same thing over and over again, be my guest (pun intended).
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Career Stability
After the recession in 2008-2009, many markets crashed and jobs became scarce. Do you have any idea of where people went to work after being laid off? You guessed it – hospitality. Jobs in hospitality have grown 17% from 2004 – 2014 compared to the average of others at 14%.
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Climb The Ladder…Two Rungs At Once!
The great thing about hospitality is that everyone is given a shot to climb their way to the top. Although the same could be said of other industries, hospitality is drenched with opportunity to earn more responsibility and grow in status. Even a Busboy can grow to be a Store Manager.
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Knowledge and Skill Growth
Similarly to the idea of climbing the ladder, you are always learning something new – from new knowledge to knowing how to handle complicated situations. After just a year on a job, you are exposed to many challenges that force you to expand your figurative tool belt.For example, a Bellhop learns how to observe little details to enhance service level, a Catering Manager learns different menu styles for different groups soon knowing what a group needs before being asked, and a waitress learns to balance ten plates on her head (okay maybe that is a stretch, but you get the point).
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Cultural Exposure
Just as hospitality jobs are everywhere, so will you meet people from everywhere. A large part of Hospitality is giving people respite from traveling and normal work/life activities.You are going to see many people from all across the world come through your doors. Where else can you meet a Russian, a Jamaican, and an Australian all in one day?
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Visible Impact
Some people who work in manufacturing plants or in software programming do not get the chance to see the end product. In the Hospitality space, you get to see how your actions make someone’s day in real-time. For example, a Waiter may count the number of people he makes smile in one shift.
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Do You Like People?
If you are any relative of an extrovert (even a second-cousin), you will find your fill in hospitality. If you are an introvert, that is also okay! There are jobs for you too such as a Catering Chef or a Virtual Travel Agent.
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Flexibility (but we’re not talking about Yoga)
Some may wince at the idea that I am talking about the idea of flexibility, often citing working holidays, weekends and nights. The truth of the matter is that you also have a flexible work schedule where you can set the tone for when you want to work.In a traditional environment, you are handcuffed to the 9-5 slot every day! What a difference it could make if you could beat the traffic or go grocery shopping without the hustle and bustle.
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Do You Like Being Around Cool People?
The thing about hospitality is that you are surrounded around by really cool people all of the time. What other environment offers a culture where everyone shares the philosophy of serving other people?
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Bring Out Your Inner Entrepreneur
You will often find yourself getting creative with problem-solving and implementing on-the-go solutions that are Entrepreneur-esque. With other jobs, you are typically tied to policies and regulations, but most of the time in Hospitality you can make a change with the snap of your fingers and you get to see the bottom-line results.
Hospitality may not be for everyone, I get it. there are some people who like dull lives where they would rather sit in a cubicle at the same time every day for the rest of their lives. But, if you are looking for something more than that, a chance to grow and make a difference one person at a time, hospitality may be the gig for you.
Thanks to Jackie Edwards for providing MMI with this content.