The hospitality industry sometimes gets a bad rap, but there are so many reasons it can be a really fun and interesting place to work.
Here are the top 10 reasons people LOVE working in hospitality.
1. We learn important life skills
Obviously we learn all the practical skills but there are also other skills that are handy for other careers and general life. Things like communication, practical thinking, problem solving and teamwork. So many young people start their working life in hospitality because it helps us prepare for whatever life throws at us.
2. We get to make people happy
It’s all in the name ‘hospitality’. Visiting a hospitality venue is about enjoyment; we want people to feel welcome and have a good time. How good does it feel when we can help someone have a great night out or a memorable birthday?!
3. Every day is different
Some days are fast, some are slow. Different shifts at different times with different people, even different sections each day or different locations. We never get stuck in a rut.
4. We can go anywhere (except right now)
One reason we love working in hospitality is the fact that our skills are portable (except in a pandemic, of course). We could pour drinks in a rooftop bar in New York, a resort in Airlie Beach, or a dance club in Buenos Aires. The world is our oyster.
5. We can flex our creative muscles
Working in the hospitality industry can be super creative. Whether we’re making a meal, a drink or an experience, we can use our creativity to make it even better than it was yesterday.
6. It’s flexible
The thought of working 9-5 in an office makes us want to cry in boredom. With hospitality work, we can do yoga at 9am, grocery shopping when it’s quiet and not sit in peak hour traffic. We fit work in around our life, not the other way around.
7. We can keep learning and growing
Hospitality is enormous, and there are so many avenues we can take in our careers. The industry rewards people who work hard and show initiative. There are also heaps of courses out there for us to continue our learning journey and take our careers to the next level.
8. There are amazing perks
In many restaurants we have to try the menu, which is particularly exciting in a fine dining restaurant. Caviar anyone? Other perks include free dinners, drinks after works, hobnobbing with celebrities and don’t forget those tips!
9. The people are awesome
Ever wondered why people in hospo are so nice? It’s because we’re generally ‘people people’. We love meeting new people and spending our days interacting with others. Between all the customers and fellow workers, we get to meet the most amazing people - and make lifelong friends.
10. It's fun
Sure, the work in hospo can be hard and we all have bad days, but often it’s really fun. We love those shifts where there’s some light-hearted banter, a bit of mischief and everyone works together as a team. There’s nowhere we’d rather be.
A version of this article was originally published on Monster.com