Few industries offer the freedom to work anywhere in the world like a career in hospitality and there is no better time than now to make hospitality management your career. The industry was disrupted severely by the global Covid-19 pandemic, but is rebounding and recovering. Options open to skilled students and graduates within the four sectors of the hospitality industry are more varied than ever before thanks to a skills shortage.
These four sectors are:
Food and Beverage, including restaurants, cafes, bars and food trucks;
Travel and Tourism, encompassing all forms of transportation, from cruise lines to airlines, railways and busses.
Lodging, from backpackers and hostels to high end hotels and resorts; and
Recreation, referring to leisure, where work can be found in places such as sports stadiums, wellness retreats, or entertainment venues like theme parks and concert venues.
What Makes Working in Hospitality in Australia So Attractive?
“Australia is a prosperous and constantly evolving country, providing uncapped opportunities for growth and development throughout your hospitality career. Reaching your career goals within hospitality is more achievable in Australia than anywhere else in the world,” Liam Robson of the International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS), said.
Australia has one of the world’s highest working minimum wage of $21.38 per hour, high job security, valuable employee benefits, and 200,000 hospitality job vacancies currently across the country due to the fading shadow of Covid-19.
Hospitality Management Career Options Include:
A Hotel Manager is responsible for supervising and controlling the operations of hotels and motels. A combination of a formal qualification together with on-the-job training is usually required to become a Hotel Manager.
Job satisfaction: 4.3/5
Career progression Opportunities: 4/5
Pay/Salary: 4/5
Job security: 4.3/5
Variety of work: 4.2/5
2,612 job opportunities in Australia right now, with a projected job growth of 2.2% in 5 years.*
Restaurant Managers are responsible for overseeing the efficient running and profitability of restaurants and for managing their employees. They deal with customer service issues and ensure the food quality is of a high standard.
Job satisfaction: 4/5
Job security: 4/5
Variety of work: 4.1/5
4,024 job opportunities in Australia right now, with a projected job growth of 27.3% in 5 years.*
Concierges draw upon their knowledge of a local area to assist hotel guests with a variety of requests, from providing directions, to recommending restaurants and arranging transportation. Many Concierges speak multiple languages.
Job satisfaction: 4.7/5
Work-life balance: 4.3/5
Variety of work: 4.4/5
Job security: 4/5
8,154 job opportunities in Australia right now, with a projected job growth of 27.3% in 5 years.*
Other Career Options Include:
Food and Beverage Director
Accommodation Manager
Hotel Sales and Marketing
Guest Relations Manager
Banquet Manager
Resort and Spa Manager
Airline Operations Manager
Bar/Cocktail Manager
Catering Manager
Management Level Workers in Hot Demand
According to hospitality industry site Barcat.com, while there are currently upwards of 2500 job vacancies for bartenders, baristas, waiters, and cooks, there are also over 1000 manager level positions available in Sydney alone.
For those seeking a higher paying career within the hospitality industry, a managerial role is the way to go,
The average salary for a hotel General Manager within Australia is $123,000 pa, and have the potential to earn over $180,000 at the top end Hotels. However, it can take general managers more than 30 years to work their way up from the bottom.
So how can you kickstart your career and move into a managerial level position faster than anywhere else in the world? With an elevated and career-focused education, hands-on practical experience and the honing of your industry relevant soft skills.
Studying While Working
In the hospitality industry in particular, it’s quite common for you to start working at an entry level position, and then go ‘back to school’ to get the degree that will advance your career.
ICMS understands this, and has a flexible timetable for working professionals. Upskilling while working is the best way to go from the bottom to the top in a measured timeframe.