The hospitality industry is a vast and dynamic sector that serves the human desire to explore the world and experience the best comforts and experiences life has to offer. It encompasses various fields such as accommodations, food and beverage, events, casinos and gaming, air travel and transportation, and official tourism, among others. Due to its size and diversity, the hospitality industry offers a wide range of job opportunities for job seekers at all levels, including entry-level positions.
In this article, we'll explore some of the entry-level professional positions that are available in the hospitality industry and the skills, attitudes, and personality traits that will help you succeed in hospitality. We’ll also look at how to advance past the entry-level quickly through a combination of education and experience!
1. What Are Entry-level Professional Jobs In The Hospitality Industry?
There are entry level positions in hospitality that require no education or experience, such as a dishwasher. Those aren’t the type of positions we are focusing on in this article. Entry level professional positions often require specialized knowledge or skills gained through formal education.
Entry-level professional jobs are the starting point for people who are interested in building a career in hospitality, often as new graduates of a hospitality program. Examples of these entry-level jobs in the hospitality industry include:
- Tourism Office Assistant
- Business Operations Assistant
- Guest Experience Coordinator
- Guest Services Coordinator
- Event Assistant or Coordinator
- Food and Beverage Coordinator
- Front Desk Agent
With positions like these, you can get your start in hospitality settings all over the world, including hotels, restaurants, travel offices, cruise lines, casinos, and more.
2. Why Choose An Entry-Level Job in The Hospitality Industry?
Positions, such as those listed above, offer several advantages to job seekers.
First, they provide an opportunity for those with limited on-the-job experience – including new grads – to develop their abilities and practice essential skills such as customer service, time management, and teamwork.
Second, entry-level jobs in the hospitality industry offer flexible work schedules that can accommodate different lifestyles.
Lastly, and most importantly, entry-level roles are a great opportunity to pave the way for a promotion. While working in an entry-level position, you can gain experience, build relationships with managers and other staff, and demonstrate skills and practical knowledge you’ve acquired along the way.
3. What Are The Benefits Of Working In The Hospitality Industry?
Working in the hospitality industry offers many benefits, including opportunities for career growth and development, flexible work schedules, and competitive salaries. Other benefits include employee discounts on hospitality services as well as the opportunity to meet new and interesting people — and develop strong interpersonal skills.
Working in hospitality settings can also provide unique opportunities to live in vacation destinations such as mountain or beach resorts around the world — in addition to building careers associated with outdoor activities, special events, and sports and gaming venues.
From a career growth perspective, the possibilities are endless. You might choose to manage a destination venue long-term, work your way to the top of a large tourism company, or start your own hospitality business.
4. What Skills Are Required For Entry-level Jobs In The Hospitality Industry?
If you want to excel in your entry-level hospitality role — and beyond — you’ll need a range of soft and hard skills. While soft skills are widely versatile and often intuitive, hard skills are acquired through specialized training.
Employers often look for the following soft skills when hiring for entry-level hospitality roles:
- Communication
- Time management
- Problem-solving
- Attention to detail
- Teamwork
- Multitasking
- Adaptability
While some of these skills may come naturally to you, they can also be honed through practice. As you gain experience, you’ll be able to master these soft skills. Moreover, soft skills are transferable beyond the hospitality industry!
Now let’s look at some of the hard skills and knowledge you'll need to advance in your hospitality career, such as:
- Sales and marketing specific to this market segment
- Mastery of specialized hospitality computer software
- Managerial accounting for hospitality businesses
- Supervision skills like conflict management, on-boarding and reference checks
- Operations management skills, especially for hospitality settings
- And more
Unlike the soft skills we’ve mentioned, hard skills are usually acquired through formal education, like a Diploma in Hospitality Business Management. By developing these hard and soft skills, entry-level hospitality workers can stand out from other job candidates and advance to more senior positions with better compensation.
5. What Are The Salaries Of Entry-level Jobs In The Hospitality Industry?
The salaries of entry-level jobs in the hospitality industry vary depending on the specific job, level of responsibility, and location. However, in general, entry-level jobs in the hospitality industry offer competitive salaries, with many positions paying above minimum wage.
The average hospitality manager salary in Canada is $33.33 per hour or $65,000 per year. Junior management positions start at $55,000 per year, while the most experienced hospitality business managers in various tourism offices, hotels, restaurants, gaming venues and other attractions can make up to $86,169 per year.
It’s also worthwhile to remember that you can apply to companies at remote destinations or in cities where hospitality and tourism plays a much bigger role in the economy, such as Australia, the United Emirates, or Bali. Salaries in hospitality management tend to go up if the local economic demand is higher!
There are many opportunities to earn competitive wages abroad. For example, a Tour Agent living in Cancun earns an average of $240,419 Mexican pesos per year, — and benefits from a much lower cost of living than in Canada — while the average salary for all jobs in the city rests at $153,096 Mexican pesos per year.
6. How To Find Entry-level Jobs In The Hospitality Industry
There are several ways to find entry-level professional jobs in the hospitality industry. One way is to search for job postings online on job search websites such as Indeed and Glassdoor as well as hospitality-specific job boards like HCareers, Hospitality Online, Hotel Jobs, and Hospitalityjobs.ca.
These websites offer a wide range of job opportunities for those interested in working in hotels, or other employers like provincial travel offices, tour companies, airlines, hotel chains, or a myriad of restaurants. Try searching for yourself!
Finding hospitality jobs is also possible by visiting the websites of hotels, restaurants, and other hospitality-related businesses and check for job openings on the careers tab. Additionally, attending job fairs and networking group events can also provide opportunities to connect with potential employers.
Another excellent way to find an entry-level position in hospitality is by enrolling in Sundance College’s Hospitality Business Management Diploma. This program includes a practicum in a hospitality setting, where students can practice hands-on skills alongside hospitality professionals. Many of our students have received job offers as a result of their practicum!
Moreover, getting your start as a hospitality business management professional through a practicum could open doors to hospitality management positions across the globe — through internal job boards and transfer requests.
7. How To Prepare For An Interview In The Hospitality Industry
Preparing for an interview in the hospitality industry involves researching the company and the job position, practicing answers to common interview questions, and dressing appropriately. It is also essential to demonstrate excellent communication skills and a positive attitude during the interview.
Here are some practice questions for a hospitality position to get you started!
1. Why do you want to work in hospitality?
2. What qualifications do you bring to this role?
3. What do you think is the most important skill for a hospitality professional to have
4. Why do you specifically want to work for us?
5. Tell us how your skills and qualifications make you the best candidate for this role.
If you can answer these questions confidently and meaningfully, you can stand out as an applicant, and increase your chances of getting a practicum or permanent position in hospitality.
There are many interviewing strategies that can get you the job, but a few stand out as some of the essential ingredients to communicate your value to any organization. Hospitality has its own success indicators but the same tips that can get you hired in healthcare or technology can grant success in hospitality. You can find our favourite interview tips in our blog article, “7 Successful Interview Tips To Secure Your New Career."
8. How To Excel In An Entry-level Job In Hospitality Industry
To excel in an entry-level professional job in the hospitality industry, it is crucial to develop strong customer service skills, maintain a positive attitude, and be willing to go above and beyond what is expected. Additionally, being a team player and having excellent time management skills can also help you stand out in your job.
If your passion lies in helping others make memories, connecting personally with guests, and cultivating a welcoming atmosphere — the hospitality industry could be a great career fit for you. A healthy wanderlust can also lead you to amazing career opportunities in places you’ve always dreamed of visiting.
9. What Are The Career Progression Opportunities In The Hospitality Industry?
"Hospitality industry" is an umbrella term that encompasses several business sectors that have customer experience and service at heart, including food and beverage, lodging, recreation, travel and tourism, and meetings and events. Additionally, there are opportunities for individuals to specialize in areas such as event planning, sales, and marketing.
Ultimately, hospitality is a diverse discipline with many notable opportunities for career path progression. Senior roles in industries falling under hospitality include:
1. Hotel Manager
2. Resort Manager
3. Conference & Event Manager
4. Catering or Event Sales Coordinator
5. Tour Guide Owner/Operator
Your career path might look very different from others within the industry – it all depends on where you start! Through a combination of education and experience — and the right attitude — hospitality employees have the opportunity to lateral into new roles as well as advance to management positions.
10. What Is The Future Of Entry-level Jobs In The Hospitality Industry?
The future of entry-level jobs in the hospitality industry looks promising, with continued growth and expansion expected in the coming years. The hospitality industry is an essential part of the global economy, and as people continue to travel and seek out new experiences, there will always be a need for hospitality professionals.
Demand for hospitality professionals — from food and beverage coordinators to food and beverage directors, front desk agents to general managers and tour guides to tour operators — can fluctuate based on factors like domestic or overseas economic expansion and contraction, current events, and public health. Public health issues like the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively impacted bookings in the past, but the hospitality industry is back on track for recovery and growth. Ultimately, the industry needs qualified people to work at all levels of the industry — putting good use to both practical and theoretical knowledge.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the hospitality industry offers a range of entry-level professional job opportunities for individuals who are interested in building a career in this field. With the right skills, attitude, and education, individuals starting in these roles can not only excel but also advance into higher-paying positions and progress in their careers. As the hospitality industry continues to grow, there will always be a need for skilled and dedicated professionals to fill these roles.
The best way to land a position in this industry is to complete a Hospitality Business Management Diploma. Through this program, you will gain the specialized skills, knowledge, and training you need to set you apart from other applicants.
Sundance College is committed to job readiness. Our Hospitality Business Management Diploma provides hands-on training, including a workplace practicum in a hospitality setting. Additionally, our Career Services team will help you hone responses to those interview practice questions, optimize your resume, and improve your job search techniques.
Our Hospitality Business Management Diploma will also prepare you to obtain hospitality industry certifications that are recognized by employers throughout the world. Apply online and contact us to find out more about our Hospitality Business Management Diploma program.