Hospitality jobs
From managing a restaurant or hotel to organising events and catering, there are a range of hospitality careers on offer if you have the right skills and qualifications
Accommodation manager
It's your job to keep tenants, guests or residents happy by making sure that your establishment is clean, well maintained and that staff are well trained and managed. You could be in charge of a care home, hall of residence, housing association or hotel but responsibilities are generally the same and cover budget control, business planning and administration.
A degree isn't necessary as employers usually look for experience and skills. You will however need a degree if you want to join a management scheme for one of the larger chains. It's also possible to do an apprenticeship in areas such as hospitality management and then work your way up to a management position.
See what skills you'll need to become an accommodation manager or hotel manager. Take a look at 6 reasons to get into hotel management.
Catering manager
Also known as a food and beverage manager, it's your job to plan, organise and develop food and drinks to meet customer expectations, hygiene standards and financial targets.
Graduate schemes and apprenticeships are available, or you may start as a catering assistant and work your way up building your skills and experience as you go. Once you become a catering manager it's possible to progress to head of catering, operations management or even catering director with responsibility for a region and team of managers.
The ability to think on your feet, work in a team and manage a budget are important skills. Food hygiene and health and safety certificates may also be required by some employers, while others will help you to achieve these as part of your role.
Read more about the daily tasks and salary of a catering manager.
Chef
The industry has a clear hierarchy and chef jobs are split into: commis chef, chef de partie, sous chef and head chef. You will likely start at the bottom, building your experience and skills and working your way up.
Cooking techniques, food hygiene and health and safety are the obvious technical aspects of the job. However, depending on what level you're at you also need to be able to listen to and act on instructions and delegate where necessary. Attention to detail and a calm approach in highly pressured environments are also important.
Take a look at the qualifications needed to become a chef.
Conference centre manager
You'll ensure that all services provided meet the clients' needs and events are run efficiently, which may require liaising with an event organiser. As well as conference centres you could find work in hotels, universities and sporting venues.
Salaries vary depending on sector, role and experience but generally assistant managers start at £20,000, rising anywhere up to £35,000 as a manager and up to £45,000 with a few years' experience.
Effective organisation, the ability to budget and handle finances and customer service skills are important to be successful in the role. A full driving licence and foreign language skills may also be useful depending on the job.
Learn more about the career prospects of a conference centre manager.
Event manager
Responsible for planning and organising conferences, seminars, exhibitions and parties, event managers need to ensure that the audience is engaged and the message of the event is clear.
A degree in event management, marketing or leisure and tourism may be useful but employers are much more interested in your skills and industry experience. You could do a degree that includes a year in industry or organise events while at university to build your experience.
Negotiation skills are important to get the best prices when looking for suppliers and venues, as are sales and marketing skills to promote the event and get sponsors. The role is very hands on meaning project management skills, attention to detail and the ability to problem solve are a must.
Discover what you could earn as an event manager.
Exhibition designer
You'll create exhibitions that look good, are practical, communicate the client's message and meet any space or budget limitations. Effective communication skills are a must, as you'll need to listen to the client's ideas and turn them into reality while adding some of your own suggestions.
Most employers require a degree in an art and design-related subject alongside a design portfolio and relevant work experience. Creative thinking, drawing skills and a good commercial understanding are just some of the skills you'll need to succeed.
Jobs are available in design companies, consultancies, larger museums and galleries. It's possible to go freelance but only after you build your portfolio and contacts through gaining experience.
Read about the responsibilities of an exhibition designer.
Fast food restaurant manager
It's your job to ensure your restaurant delivers high quality food and drink as well as good customer service. You could also be required to take care of finance, operations and sales as required.
Many managers start on the counter and work their way up but there are also opportunities to do a graduate scheme, degree level programme or apprenticeship. A combination of flexibility over when and where you work and commitment and drive can make progression to senior management level much quicker.
Salaries for assistant manager positions range from £18,500 to £25,000 increasing to £28,000 with experience. Those on graduate schemes tend to earn between £21,500 and £27,000, while general managers can earn up to £32,000.
Find out about the role of a fast food restaurant manager.
Public house manager
Front-of-house work, staff recruitment, accounting and stock control are just some of the duties of those managing a pub or bar. You may own your own premises or be employed by a brewery or pub chain to run the business, either way you'll need to get a personal licence to sell alcohol, which is gained through an accredited licensing qualification.
Aside from the licence no formal qualifications are required and emphasis is often placed on work experience. If you’re entering the role through a graduate management scheme then you'll need a good degree in any subject.
Assistant pub managers can earn between £16,000 and £21,000 rising anywhere up to £35,000 for managers/licensees. In addition to this you may be offered subsidised meals and cheap or free accommodation, with some managers even living above the premises.
Take a look at the skills you'll need to be a public house manager.
Restaurant manager
You need to make sure that your restaurant runs efficiently and profitably while maintaining its good reputation. Quality standards, business performance and health and safety are all your responsibility, meaning you’ll require a good mix of business and creative skills.
The need to diplomatically deal with staff and customers means you'll require excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to problem solve. When managing a restaurant you'll need to deal with lots of different things at once, which can make the job challenging.
A degree isn't required for entry as experience is just as important. However, if you want to do a formal recruitment scheme then a degree in business, hospitality management or catering can be useful.
Learn more about the life of a restaurant manager.
Find out more
- See what the hospitality and events management sector has to offer.