Hospitality 101! Is it for you!

There are plenty of opportunities in the industry for the unemployed as well as the employed seeking a career change. The objective of this article is to establish a profile for those individuals best suited for a career opportunity, not just a job, in the industry!

Ideally a career oriented situation will provide the most satisfaction and self fulfillment. The biggest mistake a job seeker can make is to apply for and procure a position in the industry (or any industry) when in a state of desperation or simply a need for any job one can get. "Misfits" are prone to discontentment resulting in inadequate performance often leading to termination.

The following personality traits or attributes are those that are possessed by the "most likely to succeed" among candidates.

Service oriented.
Anyone that has been in a volunteer, service organization, usually as a volunteer for a non profit organization with no remuneration involved. has a solid foundation for the hospitality industry as they have served on their own volition with no financial incentive involved.This kind of serving fellow man is an extension of one's inner energy and action taken is usually in very desirable organizations such as Rotary, student councils, Lion's club, Jaycees, church groups, Meals on Wheels, or Habitat for Humanity.

Patience.
Hospitality positions when the employee becomes the "server" obligated to the customer puts them in a secondary position. In other words, no matter what the expectations and requests of the client, it is incumbent on the hospitality employee to "grin and bear it!" The vernacular or phraseology of the employee cannot (or should not) include no, or I or we can't do that, but should be imbued with thank you, yes I can, Certainly, I'll do the best I can, I don't know, but I will find out etc. Certainly the hospitality employee must be an ardent sincere listener and never focus on anyone or anything other than the client he or she is serving!

Urgency.
The client that will be paying for the hospitality services offered expects immediate attention, high energy and a sense of urgency and sincerity. Lackadaisical, lethargic approaches and attitude to condition the client to have low expectation puts them in a negative frame of mind. The experience that follow is either abandoned or becomes tedious and frustrating for both parties.

High touch.
Today's high technology culture driven by cell phones, email, social networks etc. has evolved into a "Low touch" impersonal culture Certainly touch is an inherent part of all medical field positions and can be an asset in customer relationship building in many other positions such as sales, hotel services, retail positions etc.

A hand shake, pat on the back at the right time and even a hug in very limited situations can do wonders to create an aura of caring and a memorable experience It is possible because of the nomenclature of tools used in the academic world as well as past employment that an adult job seeker has never had an inclination or education to show care by expressing themselves with "high touch."

Good verbal skills.
The adage of what you say and how you say it both matter applies here! Without exception hospitality positions require the prospect to be able to interact verbally and possess the ability to chose the right words at the right time for both positive and negative scenarios Poor choice of words and poor English in particular result in a low respect factor and foster negative feelings or inattentiveness on the part of the client.

Take an inventory of your skills and where you are in your work life and where and what you want to be as well as your short term and long term goals before pursuing a hospitality job. If positions are available and they appeal to you and you feel ideally suited after honestly assessing your skills and personality traits, "go for it." This website (hospitalityjobsite.com) hcareers.com, healthcarejobsite.com are a few you can access!


Barbi Snyder has held a myriad of positions throughout the hospitality industry from entry level to management in lodging, gaming, medical, bar and restaurant, fitness, etc. She can be contacted for consultation at rsnyder 921@att.net or phone at 828 6254932.