Landing a dream job requires patience, dedication, and
organization. This is true for getting a job at all levels of the hospitality
and foodservice industries. Close attention to detail and organization are key.
Keeping excellent track of contacts, managing the overall success of
interviews, and organizing vital information such as phone numbers and
locations are all an absolute must.
Hotel, resort, and restaurant careers can be a competitive
job market. Staying on top of the game could make all the difference in landing
the perfect hospitality position. Here the reader will find some helpful
job-hunting tips as well as ideas on how to keep all of the important
information at the job seeker's fingertips.
The Interview
So what about the all important hospitality job interview?
One of most useful pieces of advice that can be given is to be upbeat and
personable in the interview. The foodservice and hotel industries are all about
their clients. Whatever level of employment an applicant wants to achieve, these
industries are very people oriented. One must be friendly, outgoing, and
balanced. These are the traits that will tell the interviewer how well an
applicant will handle their daily responsibilities, other employees, and most
importantly their company's guests.
Tips for a successful interview can be found simple - the
best thing a resort or restaurant applicant can remember is to relax and be
likable. Meet every interview question with a well thought out, competent
answer to ensure an excellent interview.
The Follow Up
A key component to keep in mind after each interview is to
send a thank you letter to the interviewer as soon as possible, and a good rule
of thumb is to mail it within 24 hours of the first meeting. It needn't be
complex - for example:
Dear Mr Shapiro
It was a pleasure to meet with you yesterday. I appreciated
the opportunity to talk about the growth of the company and your plans for
expansion. Having had some time for reflection, I believe my experience at XYZ
Corporation is especially relevant to this role, and would place me in a unique
position to lead the team in the front of house area.
My role at XYZ places me in direct contact with customers on
a daily basis, and as Supervisor of the front of house team, many problems and
queries are referred to me for resolution. This means I have developed both
good problem-solving skills and significant people skills in dealing with the
more challenging visitors to the hotel.
I also know the impact that good team work can make to this
area of the business from my original experience at XYZ when I first joined
them. Having seen the importance of team work gave me a perspective no amount
of theory or academic learning can replicate, and my team leading skills have
benefited enormously from the experience, although at the time it was hard
work!
I am confident I have the skills and experience you need for
this role, and I do hope to be able to prove how I can help the organization
achieve its goals. I wish you continuing success.
Kind regards
The Job Search Diary
Once the hospitality applicant's schedule is full of
appointments, here are some good ideas on how to keep track of the particulars
of each interview.
Once again a computer can be a valuable tool. As a job
seeker you could easily create a spreadsheet to document important information.
For those hospitality applicants that find the computer more of a hindrance,
buying a spiral bound notebook for this purpose works well too.
It is essential to keep track of the company's name, who
performed the interview, their contact information including phone number, and
which version of the applicant's cover letter and resume was used.
Other useful details to list are the interview time and
place, any relevant questions the applicant can think of before the interview,
and a place to make notes on the interview itself.
Additional helpful pieces of information to include in the
applicant's job log are a record of when the thank you letter was sent out, and
it may be useful to keep a copy of the letter on hand as well.
Post-interview follow-up can make the difference between
your application proceeding or failing, and Hcareers will be publishing more
information on thank you letters and the power of post interview behavior in
the next issue of the Restaurant Job Market eNewsletter.
Getting the ideal job in the foodservice, hotel, or resort
industries is a dream come true for many people. Focusing on keeping track of
the important details and staying organized in the hospitality applicant's job
log will pay off with a rewarding career in this exciting field.