Hospitality Employment

Hospitality employment included hotel, restaurant, casino, and resort professionals in 2004.  Hospitality careers are important to the success of the economy.  While facilities offer entry level occupations to candidates entering the workforce, there are also numerous careers that are long term, and require extensive education.  In 2004, wage and salary positions in lodging establishments employed approximately 1.8 million, and food service employed 8.9 million.  Although the hospitality industry already employs many, food service and lodging establishments are both projecting extended growth through 2014.  Many positions in hospitality are entry level, so there is a relatively high turnover rate.  Numerous openings will be available for entry level positions, while candidates interested in managerial positions will experience a slightly higher competition.  Full service restaurants and lodging facilities that do not offer extended services are projected to experience the highest growth through 2014, however all hospitality jobs are expected to show favorable outlooks.

Hotels, motels, resorts, and other lodging facilities provide living quarters for a short amount of time, and may also offer restaurant, meeting, conference, exercise, swimming, or other services to their clients.  These establishments employ professionals such as housekeeping clerks, bellhops, concierges, front desk attendants, and reservation managers who assistant clients during their stay to ensure comfort and satisfaction.  Restaurant professionals may include hosts and hostesses, maitre d’s, waiters and waitresses, chefs, kitchen employees, etc.  A food service staff is in charge of ensuring an enjoyable eating experience for diners.  The majority of hospitality positions offer candidates flexible schedules that allow them to keep up with other obligations.  Duties for professionals often vary by facility, with full service facilities mandating friendliness and courtesy towards all customers and clients. 

A hospitality job may be part time, full time, or seasonal, and often includes evening, weekend, and holiday shifts.  Due to the varying hours, these schedules are often good for students, or individuals seeking employment that will work around other obligations.  Higher level and rather prestigious careers often offer more fixed employment, but hours tend to be longer, and responsibilities are increased.  Hospitality professionals must be capable of standing for extended periods of time, working well under hectic and demanding conditions, and providing solutions to daily dilemmas with speed and accuracy.  Occupations that involve customer interaction necessitate candidates to be professional, courteous, and pleasant.  When dealing with difficult customers, associates must be patient and understanding, and attempt to resolve issues within company regulations, and to customer satisfaction.  All associates are required to have exceptional personal hygiene with a neat and tidy appearance. 

Entry level occupations including housekeeping, kitchen prep, bellhop, host or hostess, front desk attendant, and many others require no formal education, and often little or no prior work experience.  These positions often serve as a stepping stone into higher level careers.  Promotions are normally available to candidates who exhibit excellent capabilities, and have obtained adequate on the job experience.  Managerial and chef careers often require candidates to acquire formal education that may range from certificate programs to associates, bachelors, and masters degrees.  Higher educational achievements are not always necessary, but often increase opportunities.  Professionals employed in food preparation or housekeeping jobs are often required to take health and safety training, which is generally offered by the employer to ensure customer and employee safety at all times.  Smaller and more casual facilities generally have fewer educational and experience requirements, but the more prestigious the establishment, the higher the pay associated, which brings more competition for these careers.  Compensation for hospitality jobs varies by type, size, and style of the facility, in addition to the training and skills of each candidate.  In 2002, lodging managers received pay ranging from $26,110 to $44,670, with only 10% earning less than $20,400.  The lowest 10% of food service managers earned less than $21,760, but pay for these professionals generally ranges from $27,910 to $47,120.  Candidates who pursue training and certification programs will experience the best employment opportunities. 

For more information on employment within the hospitality industry, please visit the following sites:

• The International Education Site
• National Hospitality Supply
• Pinnacle Advisory Group
• Scottsdale Community College
• SBDCNet

If you are searching for hospitality employment, or are looking to hire resort, restaurants, casino, or hotel professionals, please visit iHireHospitality.  We are a niche job board focusing only in positions and candidates in the hospitality industry.