JobsAndCareersWithSarahWillingham2016 - 167

FOCUS :

HOSPITALITY

he hours may be
long and antisocial
- with some shift
work thrown in
- but if you're
looking for a job
in a team where
no two days are the same, working in
a hotel or guesthouse could be just the
role you're after.
Working hands-on in this area of
hospitality is never boring and it is a
buoyant sector for job seekers - according
to The British Hospitality Association,
there are almost 46,000 hotels in the
UK. These are responsible for around
512,000 jobs - and counting.
And of course, there are lots of
different roles to choose from.
So-called front of house
jobs, such as receptionists,
waitresses, or managers
are bolstered by behind
the scenes jobs including
housekeepers, porters
and kitchen staff. Hotels
will also need people to
run their sales, finance
and HR departments too.
Words: Shelly Foster. Images: Getty Images, Shutterstock. Wage information provided by National Careers Service unless otherwise stated.

Great hospitality
staff have fantastic
people skills so you
can start in a junior
role and work
your way up

Getting started
Essentially, great hospitality staff have
fantastic people skills, so there's nothing
to stop you starting in a junior role and
working your way up, if you don't mind
starting on a minimum wage. You can
also train with a foundation degree,
HND or degree in hospitality
management, hotel management, or
hospitality business management (see
www.ucas.com). There may also be
apprenticeships available in your area
(see www.apprenticeships.org.uk). Some
jobs come with free accommodation.
Larger hotel chains usually offer internal
management trainee programmes,
which may also include external training.

Spotlight on: Hotel manager
The buck stops with a hotel manager.
Working as one, you'd be in charge of all
aspects of running the hotel, as well as
building maintenance, housekeeping,
managing budgets and marketing, and
dealing with staff and customers. In
a big hotel, you might manage one
department, such as reception, and
report to an overseeing general manager.
In a smaller outfit, you could be very

hands-on, dealing
with guests and the
day-to-day running of the
hotel. Whatever role you take,
you'll need to be business-minded, an
excellent multi-tasker and team leader,
and able to cope well under pressure.

There are almost
46,000 hotels in the
UK - with 512,000
jobs and counting

How much can I earn?

£19,000, moving up to an average of
£35,000. A manager has the potential to
earn up to £100,000, though, depending
on the hotel, location and turnover.

Once you've snagged a job as a manager,
you can expect a starting salary of

Spotlight on: Catering manager
A hotel's catering manager is responsible
for all its food and drink, from
restaurants and room service to events
such as weddings. You'd spend time
consulting with chefs, managing staff,
and overseeing admin and budgets.
You'll need a culinary or management
background for this job - and having a
related degree is also useful. However,
experience doing the job itself will always
be the most important requirement
working at a managerial level.

How much can I earn?
Experienced catering managers
can expect to earn from
£25,000 to £40,000.
J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 1 6 7

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