Best Job You Never Heard Of - How to Get Your First Hotel Job

Best Job You Never Heard of Podcast - How to Get Your First Hotel Job_S1_Ep5

[00:00:00] Hey there. Welcome back to the Best Job you never heard of. I'm Grace. And today we're gonna get down into the nitty gritty. Of how to land your first hotel job, even if you never worked in a hotel before. I talked about this sort of at a surface level in episode two just so you could start thinking about it.

But in this episode, I wanna dig deeper and give you. More detail so that you can put this into action. Now if you've been listening to this podcast, chances are the hotel world is starting to sound pretty good to you. But you also might be wondering, how do I actually get in? Let's take it step by step.

So I want you to [00:01:00] understand the entry level. Opportunities. So first things first. What kind of jobs are out there that don't require hotel experience? So this is where you start. These are a few common entry points. Front desk agent reservations, agent bell staff, or valet,

food and beverage server, banquet setups, housekeeping. Guest services, which really boils down to concierge. These are the gateway jobs. They help you learn the systems, the language, the rhythm of hotel life. From here, from any of these jobs, you can move into just about any department, including sales.

So the best place to start looking for jobs is on the hotel websites. Most of the big brands, [00:02:00] Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt. IHG and others have dedicated career pages with updated listings. You can apply directly there for great results or go to the hotel where you wanna work online and you know so many times if you show up in person,

if you have a hotel that's high on your list, they'll tell you. Yeah, submit your information on our website, www.thishotel.com. So do that. But you could also check job boards like Indeed, H Careers, hospitality Online and LinkedIn jobs. Don't underestimate the power of walking into a hotel dress professionally with your resume in hand.[00:03:00]

It might sound old school because it is old school, but it can work. If the manager sees a motivated, well-dressed person who's smiling and eager, that stands out. Now, I'm going to give you a piece of advice about this. Don't just walk up to the front desk or to the bell desk or to the concierge and say, oh, you know, I'd like a job here.

Here's my resume. Don't give it to them. It's probably wasted unless you feel a real connection with them and you think maybe they're gonna lobby for you. Ask for a manager and I'd give you another tip. Also, go down to human resources and submit your resume to them. I have had HR managers. Do that very [00:04:00] thing.

They'd lobby. When they find someone they think is good, they're proud because that's their job. So they will go to the manager of the department and say, I found somebody great. My advice would be, if you're going to do this. Pick your hotels that you're going to visit in person in order of your preference of working there.

Just take a day. Just take an afternoon or a morning and try it. Try it and see what happens.

So now we wanna tailor your resume. Before you do that, your resume matters. It matters a lot. But if you've never worked in hospitality, don't worry. Again, I talked about this in episode two. Focus on your transferable [00:05:00] skills. If you're a server, that's customer service. Under pressure retail. That's multitasking and upselling, and also customer service under pressure, right?

Call center reservations with a headset and also customer service under pressure, multitasking and upselling. Because I was a reservation person and I love that job. It's a great job. Use hospitality language in your bullet points. Say guest instead of customer. Talk about anticipating needs, providing memorable service, working as part of a team.

That's just music to the hotel manager's ears. If you have a background in any kind of sales, that's a huge [00:06:00] bonus, and be sure to highlight that because you're probably not gonna get a sales manager job your first go around. But sales is really an element of every job. A housekeeper, who is totally behind the scenes, for the most part, their interaction with guests is usually fairly perfunctory.

Then you need towels say hello in the hallways. They're cleaning the rooms, but they can sell too because if they are friendly and helpful, that's just another positive experience. So next. Prepare for your interview. You've got an interview, but don't just walk in there. You need to figure out what to expect [00:07:00] most interviews or behavior based.

That means you'll be asked to give examples of how you handled situations. In the past, I hate this 'cause I can never think of very many things, but if you sit down and take the time, think about occasions in past situations. Preferably employment situations where you solved a guest or customer problem where you stayed calm under pressure, where you worked with a team to hit a goal, dealt with a difficult client or coworker, and.

Folks, they're, they're gonna ask you probably what your biggest weakness is, or, something like that. Don't say I'm just too much of a giver, or, I really go overboard when I take care of my customers. No, [00:08:00] make it actually be some sort of a shortcoming, I think the way to go would be to say, I used to be easily distracted, but I've worked on that.

That's about all I can come up with folks. That's a tricky one, isn't it? So practice your answers out loud, including that last one, so you're comfortable and confident. You could use your phone voice recorder or even make a video of yourself. Always bring your smile and good energy. That's what they look for. Really your attitude, and that is what hospitality is all about. So after your interview, this is my favorite part, and if I may say, so, [00:09:00] this is where I have always shown shine. Don't forget to follow up after the interview. Send a short thank you.

Email. This says the same day, send a short thank you. You can send an email, but I always send a handwritten thank you card. Try to do it the same day. Express your enthusiasm and reiterate why you're excited about the job and to join their team. It may seem small. But it sets you apart from the other candidates and it shows professionalism, gratitude, genuine interest.

So many times I've gone back for a second interview and they bring in, you know, my resume and maybe a couple of other papers. The thank you card that I sent is always clipped. [00:10:00] And among those papers, it's important. It's worth the what, 50 cents stamp. I don't know what stamps cost now, but Okay. Let's talk mindset.

You don't have to have a hotel experience to belong in this industry. You don't have to be outgoing. You need to be warm and welcoming. It can be quiet or it can be more outgoing. You're gonna need a strong work ethic because it's not the hardest work in the world, but it's the impression that you give those around you when you're very focused and very professional at your job.

That's what gets the attention of the people who can promote you. A sincere desire to serve and create great experiences. This is another thing [00:11:00] that is just gonna, make your star rise very fast. So if you walk into that interview believing you can learn anything that you'll show up and that you'll care about people.

You are already ahead of the game and don't disqualify yourself. Let the employer make that decision, and they still may be wrong, even if they don't hire you. Your job is to show up prepared, positive and professional.

So there you have it. Your step-by-step plan to land your first hotel job, start where you are. Use what you've got and believe. Believe in your heart there's a place for you in this incredible industry. In our next episode, I'm gonna take you behind the scenes into the sales office, [00:12:00] what it's really like to work there, how the deals are made, how that sausage is put together, and how the sales team helps the hotel.

How the sales team helps keep the hotel running full and profitable. Till then, remember, I'm Grace your guide, your mentor, and this has been the best job you've never heard of. Thanks for joining me. I'll see you soon.