Hospitality

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A look at what’s on offer in the ever-changing world of hospitality.

We all know that most jobs are not purely about fun, yet working in a dynamic sector in which no two days are ever the same doesn’t sound too bad – particularly if your employment can take you to any part of the world.

Such is Bernie Quinn’s description of the hospitality industry and, as his enthusiastic appraisal suggests, there are many more jobs on offer within this sector than merely battering herds of haggis in your local chippie or manning reception at the nearest YHA.

What’s on offer?
“While hotels and restaurants are the traditional elements of the industry,” Quinn reflects, “hospitality also includes everything from running bars and nightclubs, to organising travel and tourism, to managing high-profile events.” It might allow you to help be involved in the likes of the Olympics or even the World Cup. As the man in charge of Queen Margaret University’s course on International Hospitality, Quinn is in a pretty good position to know.

A conversation with the course leader highlights the diversity of occupations within the industry, as well as the fact that once you’ve gained the necessary skills and experience they can be transferred to numerous roles in innumerable locations around the world – surely life can be worse than running a bar which is lapped by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean or organising intrepid adventures through far-flung corners of the Earth?

Tracy Otway, who is in the final year of her four-year management degree, agrees. “I love to travel,” she explains, “and I hope I can use my experience and qualifications to find a management position abroad, maybe in Australia or the US.

“Opportunities for comparatively rapid promotion are also available,” she adds “and I hope that in ten year’s time I’ll be a general manager before ending up working ‘in a really top quality establishment such as London’s Dorchester or the Ritz.”

Who does well in the industry?
It’s good to be part of a profession where it’s reasonable to have such aspirations, but it must also be admitted that hospitality is not everyone’s cup of tea. “In a career that involves a great deal of interaction with the public, being confident, friendly and outgoing is clearly important,” observes Quinn. “And although it can involve quite anti-social hours, it tends to be a lot more fun than the likes of banking and retail.”

How to get started
If you find yourself interested by this prospect, then the next stage is to consider whether you want to work your way up from the bottom, or gain qualifications that might allow you to start closer to the top. “To enter a university course generally requires a minimum of three B’s in your Highers,” says Quinn, “but we also take people from within the industry who find they need qualification to back up their experience in order to progress.”

Whether you’re considering going straight into a career or hoping to continue in education it’s wise to gain some experience first. Not only will this give you a valuable insight into the industry, but it will also help persuade either prospective universities or prospective employers that you possess enthusiasm for the business – an enthusiasm that is backed up by first-hand knowledge of what the industry involves.

A man of leisure
“There are always loads of options and opportunities within hospitality,” enthuses Ross Blackadder who, at only 35, is now the General Manager of the David Lloyd leisure centre in Aberdeen.

“The industry always appealed to me,” explains Ross, “because I liked working with the public and meeting folk.” In school holidays and at weekends he helped out in local hotels starting with jobs such as cleaning, and although his introduction to the industry was from a fairly lowly perspective, he began to get an insight and enthusiasm for what was possible. After leaving high school he opted to train as a chef – one of thousands of options within the hospitality world.

“Although I enjoyed life in the kitchen, I realised that I perhaps didn’t have the flair or the creative genius to become a world-beating chef,” he admits, “so I thought a business qualification would be useful too.” As a result he signed up to a course in hospitality and management run by Aberdeen Business School. “It offered an intriguing combination of practical experience and theoretical learning,” he reflects. “While the first two years were mainly university-based I spent my third year doing a placement with Stakis, a chain of top quality hotels which have since been bought by the global giants Hilton.”

Having performed well on his placement, Stakis had offered him a job before he’d even graduated. “Opportunities come quicker in this industry than in most careers,” he enthuses, “and with the right experience, a lively and sociable personality and a formal qualification to back this up, you are well on the way to becoming a hot property in the hospitality world.”

MORE INFO
Aberdeen Business School
Tel: 01224 263 010
www.rgu.ac.uk/abs

Napier Business School
Tel: 0131 455 4504
www.napier.ac.uk/nubs

People1st
0870 060 2550
www.people1st.co.uk

Queen Margaret’s University
Tel: 0131 474 0000
www.qmu.ac.uk

Springboard Scotland
0141 552 5554
www.springboarduk.org.uk/regional/scotland

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