At a time when entry level jobs in many industries are reducing – and therefore increasingly harder to get – hospitality remains a fast growing industry, which provides a diverse range of opportunities. Find out more about the types of jobs available in hospitality and how you can improve your chances of getting a job in this booming industry.
About hospitality
This is the first in a series of articles about the hospitality industry. Future articles will provide information about applying for a job, work conditions (including pay) and rights at work.
Training for employment and success
Why hospitality?
At a time when entry level jobs in many industries are reducing – and therefore increasingly harder to get – hospitality remains a fast growing industry, which provides a diverse range of opportunities.
The hospitality industry is, in fact, one of Australia’s largest employing industries, with some 640,000 people employed across the sectors of hotels (170,000), accommodation (90,000), casinos (20,000), clubs (100,000) and restaurants and caterers (250,000).
In contrast to other industries, such as manufacturing or mining, the hospitality industry employs people in every Australian state, city and town. And, if you’re planning to travel, a background in hospitality provides employment opportunities around the world.
There are many casual and part time openings which meet the needs of students and other people who need to support themselves while pursuing other activities or responsibilities, such as parenting and caring, music and other performing arts. These include as bar staff, waiters and baristas and other front of house positions.
But equally, hospitality can provide satisfying and relatively well paid career opportunities, at all levels of operation and management of an enterprise, from a local café, pub or restaurant through to a large international hotel.
Many people who start as an employee in hospitality eventually go onto to run their own business in hospitality.
The starting point, whether you’re looking for casual/part-time work or whether you intend to pursue a career in one of the many parts of the industry, is an appropriate level of reputable training.
Which training?
The basic entry level qualification is either a Certificate II or Certificate III in Hospitality (Operations), which provides the skills to work in a number of front of house positions.
Bar attendant
Bar attendant positions generally require applicants to have a statement of attainment in responsible service of alcohol (RSA), in Victoria it has to be delivered via face-to-face training.
Bar attendants work in often busy, vibrant environments of pubs and clubs, hotels and taverns, providing customer services directly to a broad range of clients. The work is varied and available in many locations from big cities to the bush and often good prospects for advancement.
The duties of a bar attendant may include the following tasks:
- serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
- pour beer from the tap or pour from bottles
- mix ingredients to make cocktails and slice fruit to garnish drinks
- prepare and serve a variety of coffees
- collect payment, operate cash registers and give change
- refill drink and cigarette dispensers
- collect glasses from tables and place them in glass-washing machines
- wipe down tables and empty ashtrays
- clean bar service area and polish glasses
- arrange bottles and glasses on shelves
- assist in the cellar
- assist in stock control
- maintain workplace hygiene, occupational health and safety, and security procedures.
How much you can earn in a week depends on the number of hours and the shifts you work but on average a bar attendant earns between $500 and $700 a week before tax.
Waiter
Waiters, also known as food and beverage attendants, have busy and exciting jobs that require very good customer service and communications skills. They can work in many different types of hospitality industry businesses including restaurants and cafes, hotels, pubs, and clubs.
The duties of a bar attendant may include the following tasks:
- Set tables with clean linen or place mats, cutlery, crockery and glasses
- Welcome and seat customers and hand menus to them
- Tell guests about the menu and drinks and appropriate combinations of food and drinks
- Take customers’ orders and pass them to kitchen staff or bar attendants
- Serve food and drinks
- Make up bills and present them to customers
- Handle money or credit cards
- Take restaurant reservations
- Clear tables and return dishes and cutlery to the kitchens
How much you can earn in a week depends on the number of hours and the shifts you work but on average a bar attendant earns between $500 and $700 a week before tax.
Barista
With Australia’s well-established coffee culture, there’s an increasing demand for skilled and creative baristas to help meet our coffee needs.
The main task for baristas is to prepare and serve a variety of coffee beverages, as well as other hot and cold drinks such as teas and chocolate-based beverages, often in very busy and sometimes pressured situations.
Reliable baristas with good customer service skills are in demand in cafes and restaurants pretty well everywhere in Australia and around the world – this is a very portable skill!
How much you can earn in a week depends on the number of hours and the shifts you work and for this position in particular your skill level, but on average a barista earns between $600 – $800 a week before tax.
Moving up the ladder
A bar manager or other front of house supervisor is expected to have an understanding of bar operations and a significant level of experience in the hospitality industry. Most employers of bar managers, for example, seek people having a good knowledge of beverages and extensive experience in the preparation of cocktails.
In addition to the necessary hands-on experience, your prospects for a management/supervisory position will be greatly improved by taking an advance qualification, such as a Certificate IV in Hospitality. This will not only deepen your knowledge and skills, it will demonstrate you professional commitment to the industry. These courses provide you with skills and knowledge that are transferrable to a number of other industries as well.
Bar manager
A bar manager oversees the smooth running of one or more bars in a hospitality business. Duties may include:
- Purchase and storage of beverage items
- Budgeting and pricing policies
- Staff recruitment, training and rosters
- Ensuring relevant health, occupational health and safety and licensing regulations are met
- Oversight of the maintenance of the cleanliness and presentation of bar and service areas to the required standard
- The responsible sale of alcoholic beverages
- Cashing up and banking
- Managing the security of the premises, including opening and closing the bar
- General bar duties, including the preparation and service of beverages.
How much a bar manager earns depends very much on the type of business and the experience of the individual.
Bar managers with substantial industry experience and excellent skills are always in demand.
Food and Beverage Manager
A food and beverage manager, also called a food service manager, plan, organise and control the operation of establishments where food and beverages are served, such as restaurants, cafes, cafeterias and canteens.
Food and beverage managers are expected to have a good understanding of food and beverage operations and a significant level of experience in the hospitality industry, gained as they have worked their way up through the industry over a period of time.
A food and beverage manager may perform the following tasks:
- Talk with the chef to plan the menu
- Supervise the purchase and storage of food
- Supervise provision of all crockery, cutlery, detergents and kitchenware
- Make sure there is adequate security for food and equipment
- Keep records of payments and expenses
- Plan, coordinate and supervise the activities of workers in dining rooms, kitchens, bars and other areas
- Manage staff hiring and rostering
- Provide some staff training
- Discuss catering arrangements with clients
- Make sure that the dining rooms, kitchen, storage facilities and other work areas are kept clean and conform to the sanitary regulations
- Attend to complaints concerning food and service.
To check your standard payrate click here
We are a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) specialising in nationally accredited training for Hospitality and Management. Our key courses include a Diploma of Management, a Certificate IV Leadership & Management, a Certificate IV Hospitality and short courses in Provide Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA), Use hygienic practices for food safety – Food Handlers (RSF) and Participate in safe food handling practices – Food Safety Supervisors Certificates.
If you’re interested in working in the hospitality, contact us now to arrange a free consultation on what best suits your needs.
Email: info@serveitup.com.au
Phone: 1300 555 748
Address: 62 Little Latrobe Street, Melbourne 3000