Blog Post: I am flexible and I can rotate!: Your keys to success in the hospitality job hunt

I have the privilege of working with many hiring managers within our dynamic Houston hospitality industry.  In speaking to these managers daily, I look for feedback that will help me know what people are looking for in quality employees.  The following are some questions you can consider when seeking opportunities in the hospitality industry:

Are you flexible with your time and able to work rotating shifts?

The biggest deterrent to placing qualified job seekers in hospitality jobs is the job seeker’s inability to work the desired shift or shifts that meet the employer’s needs.  Hotel and lodging organizations are 24 hour 7 day a week businesses.  Restaurants, bars, and lounges often open early and stay open late.  Hospitality employers are not only looking for people that are qualified to deliver superior customer service and perform the assigned job duties in a timely and quality manner; but, they are also looking for people that they can depend on to help with the extra dinner rush that might occur unexpectedly or to help in another department when business is booming.

Being realistic about your availability and willingness to work up front is key.  But, before even applying for the position, know your schedule and expectations and truly consider if you would be a good match for the business.

I spoke to an excellent candidate for a hotel front desk position recently.  He had a phenomenal guest service attitude and could easily learn the computer and accounting skills required of the position.  BUT, he absolutely could not work on weekends or past 4 pm on weekdays due to other obligations.  Knowing the hotels to which he wanted to apply, I had to advise him that they might consider him but would give preference to people of similar skills with a more flexible schedule.  Luckily, we found a property willing to work with him part-time on a day schedule and he has been a great asset.  However, even then he told me they would consider him for a promotion if his schedule was more “open”.

Indeed, even if you are hired for a morning shift, if you know you are able and willing to work a PM shift on occasion, this is an excellent point for self-promotion that might place you at the top of the stack.  Also, once you land the job and your employer learns they can rely on you to “fill in”, your flexibility can be used as another point of self-promotion to look for the next opportunity for advancement.  A quality employer will appreciate your effort to help out the team and will help you out in return.

Can you deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly?

I always speak to individuals who are excited about finding a new and exciting opportunity in the hospitality industry because they love dealing with people.  My response is always to ask if they like dealing with ALL people, or just the nice people.

The industry is guest service driven.  Hospitality employees do indeed have the pleasure of dealing with many GOOD wonderful people with great stories to share and infectious positive personalities.  However, sometimes even these people had a flight cancelled or are in town for a stressful business meeting and have life working on their nerves right at the moment that they meet you, the hospitality professional.

How do you handle the grumpy businessman that can’t find a working fax machine to save his life?  How do you deal with the guest that doesn’t agree with your chef’s (BAD) interpretation of “medium well” on their steak and wants it cooked a third time?  And, pray tell, what do you do if the guest in room 345 once again has a broken toilet and your maintenance person is gone for the day?  (Well now we’ve reached the UGLY.)

As a professional in the industry, working with people is definitely one of the highlights of the job.  But understand you must know how to work with ALL people ALL the time.  Being a professional does not stop when a challenge arises.  Actually, I’d like to think this is when you have the opportunity to shine.  When you’re looking for a job in hospitality, ask yourself if you thrive when the going is good, the going gets rough…or the going is just plain ugly.

Do you fit into our culture?

Believe it or not, not all restaurants are the same.  Neither are all airlines.  Yet, when we walk into any establishment as a customer, most of us expect high quality customer service.  How that is delivered is largely determined by the company’s culture. 

Walking into the a high rise luxury hotel you might be greeted by a beaming bellman who opens the door with a hearty welcome as the brass buttons on his well-pressed uniform sparkle in the light of a lobby apportioned with the shiniest crystal chandelier you’ve ever seen.  Then, you are met with equal reception by your front desk staff, your elevator greeter, and your room attendant. 

Or, you might walk into a quaint “mom and pop” hotel in the middle of the Texas hill country and find a warm greeting of “how y’all doin’ today?”

Each experience is unique to that property and each experience is defined by the people that help run that property.  When you think about it, even the most luxurious hotel, restaurant, cruise line, or airline can be easily “downgraded” by the experience someone has in that establishment.  The way in which this experience is created is determined by the culture that is in place.

So, when you are considering working at a certain business, make a point of experiencing the culture first hand.  This is not to say that if you are interested in working for a fancy international airline that you should book your round trip fare to Mozambique and give the plane a whirl.  But, you should definitely look at the company’s website.  See what their vision and mission statements tell you.  Look at the employees who currently work there and see what you have in common that you can sell when/if you get an interview.  You might discover that this is just the place for you OR that there might be a better match out there.  Knowing the culture of a company is a way to know if you’ll be a good fit for their business and if they will be a good fit for your personality, lifestyle, and vision.

What do you know about the industry (property, management company, position, etc.)?

Have you seen the commercials for a cruise line and told yourself, I would really love to work at sea.  I could greet people, book reservations, lead the luau, or run the gift shop.  That would be fun!

But, leading from the previous pointer, what have you done to learn about the company’s culture and the experience of working not just on a cruise ship, but for this cruise line in particular?  Do they do long international cruises that keep you on your sea legs for weeks at a time or do they do short domestic cruises with many cruises back to back and small breaks in between?

I once had a dream in my head that I would be the Cruise Director for a line that traveled to the Bahamas .  When I did my research I found out that being a Cruise Director is more than planning the bingo games and giving away fun prizes.  I also discovered that the cruise lines I looked at that had cruises to the Bahamas had you traveling other places as well.  So my dream of being the fun guy on the ship that traveled non-stop to the Bahamas was unrealistic.  Besides that, I didn’t even know how to get my MMD card.  (Hint! Look here:  www.uscg.mil/stcw)

I encourage you to use Google or other web search engines as your friend to learn about the organizations and types of jobs you are interested in.  Talk to people in the industry, read the news papers, and browse the web – use information to your advantage.  O*Net (http://online.onetcenter.org/) is a great place to start when looking for information on exactly what a position entails. 

Are you truly looking for a growth opportunity?

The last point I want you to consider I’ll mention only briefly as it does not define your choice to enter the industry.  However, what I find is that people that are looking for a position in which they can “grow” can either find this position in hospitality or not.  Pretty simple, isn’t it?

The key here is to know what you’re looking to get out of a position.  Are you retired and want to work in a small hotel to talk to people and enjoy a part-time job that also provides benefits?  Or, are you straight out of college looking for a career track into management?  (Know that if you’re this person, many hospitality organizations will want you to have some industry experience to support your desire to get into management.)

Whatever your employment motivation, know where you want to go and how to get there.  If you want to be the General Manager of a restaurant, each restaurant, franchise, or chain has different expectations for their managers.  Again, research the position and the companies and find out what these expectations are, meditate on whether or not this is something you can and/or want to do, and make a plan on how to meet (or better, exceed!) these expectations.

The hospitality industry definitely has the opportunity for many happy returns in the form of a dynamic career track and other benefits.  It is up to you to first decide if the job, organization, and industry as a whole is a good match for what you desire.  If you choose the industry (or the industry chooses you), welcome to the group and enjoy the ride!

*** Are you a hospitality industry professional looking for a new opportunity?  Consider joining my Hospitality Professionals Job Club, which meets on the 2 nd and 4 th Tuesday of every month (9 am – Workforce Solutions, Westheimer).  E-mail me if you are interested in attending!