Top tips for progressing your career in Hospitality

Top tips for progressing your career in Hospitality
Top tips for progressing your career in Hospitality

posted 05 Jan 24

Search Editorial Team

From chefs and bartenders to hotel managers and concierges, hospitality offers a range of career options. With hospitality being the third-largest private-sector employer in the UK, the scope for career development is endless. Whether you have just started as a barista or have years of experience as a chef manager, we share our top tips for climbing the hospitality career ladder. 

  • Your current position within the company 
  • Your career goals 
  • The obstacles that are preventing you from achieving your goals 
  • The steps you will take to achieve your goals   

1. Create a career development plan 

While this may seem like an obvious tip, having a career development plan outlined helps keep you focused on your end goal. To do this, note the steps you will take to achieve your end goal. It could include shadowing staff members to learn specific skills or setting time aside to invest in training programs. Either way, it is worth creating a list including the below. 

  • Your current position within the company 
  • Your career goals 
  • The obstacles that are preventing you from achieving your goals 
  • The steps you will take to achieve your goals   

2. Maximise your learning opportunities beyond the workplace

Hospitality is a close-knit industry which has its benefits. Through learning from those around them and adapting to the demands of the business, employees often climb the ranks without formal qualifications. However, the most successful employees tend to use their initiative, explore beyond their business, and show persistence and willingness to learn. 

Attend seminars, workshops, or professional classes to help keep your creative flair alive and leverage online content platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Work to diversify your skills and expose yourself to different ways of working to keep up-to-date with the latest trends. Being inquisitive can go a long way when advancing your hospitality career.  

3. Network with inspiring hospitality professionals 

Networking is one of the most powerful skills you can adopt to progress your career in hospitality. Even if you are the most seasoned chef or hotelier in the game, knowledge from others is invaluable, and connecting with new professionals can open the door to a world of opportunity. Who you know and what you know go hand in hand, so it’s essential to strike a good balance between the two. Take a look at some hospitality networking examples below.  

  • Explore restaurants and hotels local to you to gain insight into trends and connect with local clientele. 
  • Attend or participate in hospitality events such as food festivals, innovation expos, or conferences. 
  • Temp with an agency like Search Hospitality to build a contact base and broaden your experience. 
  • Join online hospitality networking groups. Platforms like Reddit and Facebook have a strong presence in this field. 

4. Make your company aware of your career development goals 

Finally, whether it’s part of your appraisal or a casual meeting with your manager, it’s important your company is aware of your career development goals so they can work alongside you to help achieve them. For example, if you want to build your managerial skills, your manager can facilitate this by offering paperwork training or a shift where you can lead a group of team members.  

Are you looking to progress your career in hospitality? Our specialist hospitality team can support you on your career development journey. From bar staff and kitchen porters to chefs and general managers, we have a wide range of hospitality jobs available at all levels.Â