5 transferable skills from hospitality jobs.
With many catering and hospitality employees looking for new opportunities, we've rounded up our top 5 transferable skills that can carry you into a range of roles in different industries.
The COVID-19 pandemic was one of the biggest challenges the catering and hospitality industry had to endure. With mass gatherings banned, lockdowns imposed and restrictions affecting how restaurants, bars and clubs operate enforced, it left a number of employees out of work and many others wondering how the industry would fare after.
While the catering and hospitality industry has started to regain its momentum, many are still opting to find work elsewhere.
The prospect of embarking on a new career path can be daunting, but working in the catering and hospitality industry arms you with some fantastic transferable skills that are desired in many different roles, so be sure to incorporate these into your CV and be ready to talk through your examples with your interviewer!
TEAMWORK
Teamwork is a prevalent asset in the catering and hospitality industry. Regardless of whether you’ve trained as a chef, waiter, events assistant or barista – you’re likely to have spent some time working in coordination with colleagues, building relationships or supporting workloads.
The ability to work well with others is an invaluable tool in many job roles, as it boosts productivity in the workplace, encourages innovation and improves motivation. So if you’re an admirable team player, this would certainly be something to bring to the table in a new role.
INITIATIVE
Often in the catering and hospitality industry, you’re required to think on your feet, react quickly to an unforeseen circumstance or solve a problem. This can involve a great deal of initiative if you’re unable to ask for help or if something needs to be dealt with immediately. While sometimes the fix may seem simple, you are constantly learning how to adapt and be flexible.
Having a strong initiative is an excellent trait to have and will assist you in many job roles. It shows you’re resilient and adaptable to change, while reassuring employers that if a challenge presents itself to you, you’ll do your best to tackle it.
MULTI-TASKING AND ORGANISATION
With no two days the same, working in catering and hospitality often means quickly alternating between one task and the next, or doing multiple things at once, and organisation is the key to serving customers efficiently and ensuring the day goes successfully.
The ability to multi-task and organise effectively is invaluable in almost any job role, particularly in roles such as administration, finance, production, warehouse, delivery driving, sales or merchandising – so be sure to come to your interview armed with examples of how you’ve demonstrated these skills.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Perhaps the most integral skill of a catering and hospitality worker is knowing how to communicate effectively with customers, how to act with professionalism and how to pacify or rectify a situation. Not only will customer service experience lead you smoothly into lots of customer-facing roles, it’s also a great to skill to have for working cooperatively with others.
Presentation is also key to customer service and how you present yourself remains important to success within other roles.
RESILIENCE
Long shifts, challenging circumstances and high pressure are frequently part of working in catering and hospitality. The world of work can be a challenging one at times, and so having strong resilience may help you get past those difficult patches employees sometimes face, and reduces the risk of burnout.
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