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A Guide To Graduate Hospitality Jobs

About Graduate Hospitality Jobs
Employing almost 4.5 million people, the UK hospitality and leisure industry has a whole host of careers that graduates could get their teeth into.

If you are thinking about hospitality careers once you graduate then chances are, you have worked in the industry previously. This could have been student jobs in bars or restaurants, for example, so that you could fund your studies. Others of you could have done events jobs; waiting on tables or meeting and greeting. Perhaps you are thinking about making a full time career out of this by looking for graduate events jobs.

The beauty of hospitality jobs is that many roles are entry level and offer flexible hours. This means they are often suitable for young people and students (over a third of people doing hospitality jobs are under age 25) and there are ample opportunities for those looking to get some quality work experience.

If you are now thinking about graduate hospitality and leisure jobs, well, that could mean you have caught the bug. You love the buzz of working in a constantly changing environment, you want to work flexible hours - sometimes long hours - including evenings and weekends. Because you won’t mind the hard work - you love the reward of making people’s leisure and corporate time more pleasurable. That’s what hospitality jobs are all about. You want to lead your team. And, of course, you love meeting and speaking with the general public; helping to make their time with you - whatever environment that might be in - memorable for all the right reasons.

What Are The Different Types of Graduate Hospitality Jobs?
Because the hospitality industry is so broad, it covers a whole range of hospitality jobs. Depending on the hospitality careers pathway you choose, you could be working indoors, outdoors, at various locations or in one main location. Some graduate careers in this industry might also give you the opportunity to work abroad.

Because of the nature of the industry, you could be working for small, private businesses such as small pub or hotel chains or, you land yourself a placement on hospitality graduate schemes with large national leisure groups and hotel and catering chains. Graduate jobs should ensure that you progress quickly to hospitality management jobs in your chosen field.

Let’s take a look at some of the hospitality and leisure jobs you could be doing:
  • Graduate Catering Jobs: This could be catering manager jobs where you are responsible for supplying food and service for various functions either in one venue or in various places.
  • Hotel Jobs: Hospitality graduate schemes are often available for those of you looking to get into hotel management jobs. Around the UK, there is a variety of hotel groups catering for both leisure and corporate stays. Hospitality graduate schemes often provide you with the opportunity to work in different departments so that you are given a broad understanding of how to be effective in hotel management jobs in the future.
  • Bar & Restaurant: Again, if you are working for a large chain, you might find placements on hospitality graduate schemes. These schemes will give you experience of retail management and other roles within the industry. Many of the major fast food chains, for example, offer hospitality graduate schemes that will fast track you to managerial roles.
  • Leisure Jobs & Sports Jobs: Graduate sports jobs and leisure jobs can be in various environments. Graduate leisure management jobs might be in leisure centres, sports centres, sports stadia, theme parks, safari parks, zoos, museums. Wherever people want to spend their sports and leisure time, there could be graduate leisure jobs to suit your interests.
  • Travel & Tourism Graduate Jobs: Hospitality jobs are just one of the types of roles you can do in the travel and tourism industry. Head on over to our dedicated article if the travel industry is more up your street.
  • Events Graduate Jobs: Graduate events jobs could see you working in one venue, organising multiple events throughout the year. Exhibition centres, stadia, sports grounds and country houses, for example. Other graduate events jobs might involve working for companies who organise and put on events around the country. This could be anything from sports events, rock concerts to fashion shows and carnivals. Event management jobs could be yours for the taking after you have gained the relevant experience.
What Do Employers Look For In Their Candidates?
Unlike many graduate careers, it isn’t always necessary to have a 2:1 degree to apply for hospitality jobs and graduate hospitality schemes. Likewise, whilst it may be beneficial to have a degree related to the hospitality industry, you can still apply for vacancies with other degree subjects.

As we said above, the hospitality industry employs many young people and chances are, your student jobs have been in roles that have given you some work experience. Be sure to highlight this in your application. Other skills and traits that employers are looking for when you apply for graduate hospitality jobs are:
  • Excellent customer service skills - well, you are doing jobs in hospitality.
  • Flexibility - Unless you are doing head office jobs, careers in hospitality will require you to work various hours over evenings, weekends and holidays. Depending on your role, no two days will be the same and you will need to be able to adapt to change quickly.
  • Excellent communication skills - if you are doing roles such as event management jobs and other positions where you are in a more senior role, you need to be able to communicate to your team what needs to be done. Some graduate hospitality jobs have retail involved so you will need your communication skills to hit sales targets, too.
  • Organisational skills - Hospitality careers involve multitasking and you will need to be able to organise your time, manage your team and deal with customers as well as liaising with other companies you may be teaming up with to help run an event, for example.
  • Commercial awareness - For graduate hospitality jobs, employers will be looking for an understanding of how their company contributes to the hospitality industry from you. Make sure you are right up to date with recent developments within the industry and highlight how you think you can work with these developments.
What Is The Salary For Graduate Hospitality Jobs?
Particularly at entry level, hospitality jobs are not famed for their high salaries. For graduate jobs, if you are applying for hospitality graduate schemes, your starting salary should be competitive compared to salaried in other sectors.

Hospitality jobs can also offer other perks, as well as the financial benefit. Companies such as hotel and restaurant chains will often offer discounts for you and your family at their branches around the country. Graduate events jobs could mean you get to attend some of the top events in the country and receive free or discounted tickets to other events.

How Can I Progress My Career?
Eventually, graduate hospitality jobs can lead to hospitality management careers. You might get a positions such as hotel management jobs or event management jobs. Some companies will also have further promotion opportunities where you could work as area manager. If events jobs are your thing, then in the future, you might choose to set up your own business organising weddings, special occasions or corporate events.

Apply For Graduate Hospitality Industry Jobs In The UK
So, if you are very much a people person and you think you’ve got what it takes to succeed in the hospitality industry, apply for hospitality jobs now and you could soon be in your dream role.

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Front of House Staff Needed

Restaurant Associates

Brockenhurst

£10.50 per hour

kitchen porter

Hever Castle

Edenbridge

Weekly pay

Breakfast Waiting Staff

Hever Castle

Edenbridge

.

kitchen porter

Hever Castle

Edenbridge

Weekly pay

Breakfast chef

Hever Castle

Edenbridge

monthly pay

Events Staff

Hever Castle

Edenbridge

weekly pay

Restaurant Supervisor

Hever Castle

Edenbridge

weekly pay

Retail Sous Chef/Lead Chef

Hever Castle

Edenbridge

monthly

Restaurant Floor Manager

Dishoom

Cambridge

£35,000 - £37,500 per year

Camp Manager / Deputy Manager: Activity Day Camp! (May Ha....

Camp Beaumont

Northwood

£13.45 - £17.93 Per Hour

Floor Restaurant Manager

Dishoom

Kensington, London

£40,000 - £45,000 per year

Kitchen Team Leader - Cook/Chef

Kingswood

Cromer

£24,793.60 per annum

Cook

Kingswood

Cromer

£24,793.60 per annum

Kitchen Team Leader - Cook/Chef

Kingswood

Bideford

£30,000.00 per ammum

Assistant General Manager

Dishoom

Kensington, London

Competitive Salary

Kitchen Manager

Camp Beaumont

Hexham

£28,000.00 per annum

Regional People Consultant

Constellation

Cardiff

28,000

Accounts Payable Clerk

Kitchen Lead

Cromer

£12.82 per hour

Kitchen Manager

Camp Beaumont

Cromer

£26,000.00 per annum

VIP Hospitality Staff at The 152nd Open at Royal Troon - ....

Arc Hospitality

Kilmarnock

£12 + Hol pay = £13.45

1-20 of 41 jobs

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