The importance of working in hospitality
“As part of my job I spend a lot of times in schools or with groups talking about the benefits and opportunities within hospitality. For me this goes far beyond just a hope to get people searching for lifelong vibrant careers, this is about people contributing to not only the industry, but their own personal development.
“Typically, during a career talk I will speak to the teacher/host and ask them if they have ever worked in the industry. To date I’ve only had one person say no. those that have said yes speak fondly about not only their time in hospitality (normally during university, or as a summer or weekend job) but also about the life lessons they learned from it. This ranged from how to work hard, customer service, high pressure situations and how to think on your feet. It also gives people an idea about how others like to be talked to and interacted with.
“This idea of summer/student/weekend work is paramount to hospitality as a whole. We need people who can come and cover busy times, want to learn and are grateful to have a few extra pennies in their pocket to enjoy. On the other hand, we are grateful to have people with a desire to be there helping, and who want to gain a good insight into the industry.
“Personally, I have made a strong career from the industry, but that doesn’t mean everyone will. What we need to encourage is people taking the chance to get some really good experience, some strong life skills, and be able to contribute strongly to the local trade. Hospitality and tourism in Jersey provide us with a lot more than just restaurants and bars. Without the vibrant industry we enjoy, we wouldn’t have the connectivity we enjoy, the services we love and the wide range of superb offerings.
“If I had my way, I’d love to see a compulsory service in hospitality for all. I think as a society, people would be a lot more appreciative of our venues, and we would have a great source of workforce for the island.”
Simon Soar, CEO, JHA