Hospitality Skills Academy

After doing a degree for 3+ years, as a graduate you believe that it is a simple progression into the world of work. However the recent realities imply that it is not always a simple journey from graduate to job- and not even your dream job, any job at all! This is never implied whilst studying and may hit you harder than you think. The news coverage definitely wasn’t hitting the mark as I graduated in 2008 and has only just kicked in the last 6 months in identifying the scarcity in graduate jobs. No graduate is ready for this huge impact it will have on their lives, so I urge you to embrace it as a challenge and approach it head on.

I graduated last year from the University of Chichester and had already begun applying for jobs, work experience and internships before graduating. This continued for about 13 months- some days consisted of hours on end applying for jobs, and others would just be staring at the screen waiting for the endless amounts of no response whatsoever or the classic- “unfortunately your application has not been successful”. I remember one job I applied to had over 600 applicants to it- I doubt they read that many CV’s but who knows. After 300 job applications you get used to it, but don’t give up- you must carry on with this process, eventually someone is going to want you.

A friend of mine is about to embark on a Masters in International Event Management. Would they have taken this route if the job market wasn’t so harsh? No, probably not, I mean why plunge more money into the FE system if you don’t think it will stand you ahead of other applicants? I would probably be in the same position now if I wasn’t working with The National Skills Academy for Hospitality and would see it as an investment for some. But for those that have had enough studying, why not try a vocational study in hospitality instead.

It is important to look into other industries that may not initially be your first choice. Take hospitality for instance, I have grown up with an influence in this area from my parents owning restaurants, working in and out waiting jobs in the past 7 years and working throughout my degree at a large branded restaurant throughout and post University- but did I see it as an industry I wanted to go into post graduating? Honestly, probably not. I saw myself using my degree (BA Honours in English and Creative Writing) in a marketing role or working within publishing- with pre-university days clocking up 12 months experience in publishing. But I soon realised that I was fighting against myself, I needed to address where my true talents were and it turns out its in hospitality- the last place I thought to look.

In my current role I understand a new reality - the hospitality industry is expected to fill in excess of 500,000 jobs this year alone. I don’t see marketing, publishing or banking doing this. I have also come across the wealth of success stories that seem to hide within this meritocratic sector. It may often be seen as a demeaning industry but if you have personality, passion and the ability and drive to succeed this industry can take you anyway you want to go.

So why aren’t more graduates applying to these jobs and developing new skills to add to their existing talents? The answer is, I just don’t know, perhaps it is the way hospitality isn’t seen to be a glamorous place to work. But you are open to good careers and management and leadership skills, which can be applied to any industry, why not take a trip into hospitality and see the opportunities that are available to you.

Some amazing success stories from the industry include:

David Fairhurst Senior Vice President & Chief People Officer (UK and Northern Europe) McDonald’s, Graduate Trainee > European Director of Recruitment and Leadership > Corporate HR Director > Senior Vice President > Chief People Officer.

Craig Bancroft, Proprietor, Boarding school > Disapointing exam results > Holiday job as a kitchen porter > Management Trainee > Head Chef > General Manager (age 23).

Michele English, Owner of The Cheerful Soul, Degree in Fashion > Ran Small Buffet Catering Business > Won 'The Restaurant' > Restaurant Manager.

These are just a few of the amazing successes that people have accomplished in the industry and there are more stories to be made. You can begin as a waiter and work your way up into managerial positions, operations managers, marketing managers, the career opportunities are endless, whether you are just graduating from school, college or University- now is the time to decide where the jobs will still be in the next few years.

I am not saying it is an easy industry to tap into, but it is creating jobs- especially with the lead up to the 2012 Olympics. There is more need for talent than ever before, and you might be surprised at the opportunities – if you don’t follow the world owes me a job that befits your educational success.

This is where bright people leaving education need to be looking. Don’t stick to the generic application process, look for companies you are interested in, have an open mind – who is recruiting – what do they do – where could I get to after all hospitality also recruits accountants and marketers- be the talent this industry wants.

There is no way I would be working with the academy now if I didn’t push myself to everyone around about any contacts they may have. Sometimes networking can be the best way to find jobs, even if you are just talking to friends who may recommend you to people. It worked for me after passing my CV onto some family friends.

To the class of 2009, remember there are others that  have been through the tough times and come out the other end. I have access to a social network and will help to whatever degree I can by getting more experienced people to consider your position and options. Tell me about the good and the bad times and see what everyone else is doing in the same position as you.

Leaving education can be daunting and the job market is tough- but you must stick it out, you will get there. Hospitality is a great industry to work in and the opportunities are endless, you never know unless you try it- it could be your future career.

The National Skills Academy does not provide careers but we know the industry and who has the jobs- if we can help then we will. Don’t forget to keep smiling and add your smiling faces onto www.smilesofbritain.co.uk to win prizes.

My top tips:

1. Get onto UKSP, they have a Good Employer Guide
2. The Caterer has 8,620 hospitality jobs currently available
3. Hospitality job advice from careerscope from Springboard
4. Do courses such as Health & Safety, Food Hygiene, Manual Handling – if you approach an employer and tell them you already have done these off your own back you have a head start and it demonstrates commitment
5. Get onto TableTalk or The Publican and apply for free Disney Institute Places