So you want to work in a hotel
I recently worked at a local resort, assisting the human resources office with hiring new employees for the busy summer season. As I watched a steady stream of applicants come through the doors, I thought to myself, “Do these people know what they’re signing up for? What kind of crazy nut job (besides me, of course) wants to work in a hotel?” Sure, they read the job descriptions, but job descriptions are so general. What does it really take to work in a hotel? Could you hack it?
You must be able to work long, unusual hours. Want a 9-to-5, Monday through Friday job? Those are few and far between in the hospitality industry. Hotels run 24 hours a day, and someone must be there to run them all of those hours. I’ve worked many a graveyard shift in my time. And just because your shift ends at 3 p.m. doesn’t mean that’s when you’ll leave. If dozens of people are waiting to check in and not all the rooms have yet been cleaned, chances are, you’re not going anywhere. If you’re working in a hotel, you’re there to serve guests, and doing so sometimes means that you must stay late until you get the job done. Oh, and you want holidays off? Sorry, that’s our busy time! While your friends are at the lake on Labor Day, you’ll be parking cars.
You must keep up with the physical demands. You are rarely sitting behind a desk when you work in a hotel. You might be standing behind the front desk for hours. Or you may be running heavy linens up flights of stairs. How does pulling weeds and cleaning pools sound? Most hotel jobs are very physically demanding.
You must have patience and a sense of humor. OK, I’ll be honest. We have a saying in the hotel industry: “When people pack their bags, they usually forget to pack their brains.” And it’s true: Even the smartest, most organized, most together people sometimes lose it when they go on vacation (I’ll admit it, I’m guilty of this, too). These brainless people will then arrive at your hotel. Yes, they will ask stupid questions. Yes, they will tell you how to do your job. Yes, they will want the impossible and they will have needed it yesterday. But they are your guests, and helping them along is not just your job — it feels good. You need to handle them with TLC, and you need to keep a smile on your face and a sense of humor while you’re doing it. Then you can go on break and grumble to your coworkers all you want.
You must be able to multi-task. Hotels are bustling places, and you must be willing to keep up with the pace. Do not apply if the thought of talking to a guest while completing paperwork and transferring phone calls stresses you out. I once saw a room service attendant answer phones, take orders, plate food and unpack a box of condiments all at once. Amazing.
You must be willing to pay your dues. To move up the ladder and reach top positions within a hotel company, you must understand everything about how properties work. The only way to do this is to work as many positions as you can. Sorry, but nothing is beneath you. As I’ve told many aspiring hospitality students, no college course can teach you how to turn a mattress, fold a sharp corner when making a bed, build rapport with bar guests, or reassure the freaked-out meeting planner in your conference room. Also, you must be willing to pitch in and help out other departments when they need assistance. Especially at small properties, everyone must know how to do many different jobs in order to keep things running smoothly.
You must love polyester blends. Some really upscale properties like to brag that certain fashion designers have helped design their staff uniforms. But for the most part, you will be wearing a hideous uniform that is too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, is a really bad color for you, goes shiny after one wash, and often features some version of an outdated necktie or neckerchief. Not even Carmen Electra could look sexy in some of the outfits I’ve had to wear.
You must not like money too much. You’ll probably make a little more than minimum wage, but not much more. In fact, you will probably never receive proper monetary compensation for the hard work you do. You’ll have to find job satisfaction in other ways.
You must love variety. Nothing about hotel life is consistent. Every day brings new guests, new faces, new requests and new challenges. Moreover, hospitality is an industry with a high rate of turnover. Your co-workers will burn out and/or move on quite regularly, so you must be able to work with all types of people at all levels of experience. The change will keep you on your toes and may make you crazy sometimes, but it will also keep you stimulated and excited.
You must enjoy being part of a big family. Be prepared to fall in love with your regular guests. Your heart will leap when you scan the day’s arrivals and see that your favorite road warrior is back for the third time this month, or that the wonderful family from New York has chosen to spend its summer vacation with you again this year. You will also spend a lot of time with your co-workers and become fast friends. It won’t be enough to look at them for an entire eight-hour shift. No, you’ll get off work and decide that you all must hit the local watering hole to blow off steam and sing a little bad karaoke together.
My description of hotel employment may be a little scary. But you know what? I have to be harsh, because hotel jobs aren’t for everyone. They are for a special type of person who is able to keep a level head while dealing with the highest highs and lowest lows. Good hotel workers realize that serving others — and serving them well — brings incredible satisfaction. I salute all those hospitality workers who enjoy their jobs and who do them well.
To my fellow hospitality employees: What job requirements would you add to my list? E-mail me and let me know!
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