Evolution isn’t the survival of the fittest… It’s the survival of those most adaptable to change…
Covid has been tough on hospitality, and while we’re confident it will return one day, in all honesty, we don’t know when.
There are other sectors hiring though, so maybe it’s time to think about a change. Internet shopping, food retail, the IT and logistics side of businesses in a world of social separation and healthcare are all sectors that have seen a growth in demand for good people.
You work in hospitality. You’re a people person, right? You must have some marketable skills; they’d benefit from your experience? They’d be lucky to have you!
You’re right… but unless you spell it out, they may not see it that way.
I won’t cover all the bases in this blog post, but I’ll talk about healthcare, and most of the points made will be, well… transferable to other sectors.
For the purpose of this post, when I say ‘healthcare’, I mean a care home. Most are 60-bedded buildings that in many ways are similar to a hotel. They have single en-suite bedrooms, full-service kitchens, laundries, sales, marketing and administration teams and they serve about 1,500 meals a week. Of course, healthcare isn’t for everyone, but the principles here apply to any sector.
The most important thing to remember about a job application is that the objective isn’t to get the job… The objective of your application is to get an interview.
So how do you stand out? Well simply pressing apply probably won’t cut it. If you look like you’ve made an effort (or actually have made an effort) you’ll stand a much better chance of getting that interview.
Highlight your transferable skills, and make sure you have something on your CV that links you to the role or sector, even if it’s a stretch.
Transferable skills that you’ve gained working in hospitality?
- Customer Service. Hugely valuable and very underrated.
- Teamwork. Pretty much every company in the world prefers to hire team players.
- Multi-tasking. Remember full hands in… full hands out? That’s multi-tasking, and you’re good at it.
- Attention to detail. Details matter. You may have it as a habit now, but it’s valued highly.
- Time management. You’d be amazed how many people in other industries think that a start time is ‘roughly’ the time you should start. On time, all the time.
- Patience. Remember that Christmas party with the really funny drunk guys? Yep, patience and tolerance is a very marketable quality to have.
- Flexibility. Might need to stay late or pull an extra shift… Your flexibility and work ethic is highly valued. Make sure they know you have it.
- Crisis Management. This is a good one. You can think on your feet. Improvise, adapt… overcome. Employers like that.
- Results focussed. You understand that getting the job done is important. You have fun along the way, but you get the job done.
- Communication. Bet you thought I’d lead with that one? Well it’s a cracker, but it’s also one everyone says, so if you want to stand out, lead with any of the above that are mentioned in the advert you are applying to.
In addition to mentioning your transferable skills in your cover letter (always send a cover letter) find a link to the role or the sector.
For example, if you’re going to apply for a role in healthcare, whether it’s care role or in a support function, you could invest ten minutes of your time on-line and become a ‘dementia friend’ with The Alzheimer’s Society.
You watch a video, and it’s free. Once you’ve done it, you can put the fact that you are a dementia friend on your CV and you’re already ahead of most of the hospitality candidates that come through. You can become a dementia friend here.
Even if you’re not looking at healthcare, it’s a good thing to have and will show that you are a kind and civically minded citizen, and who doesn’t want to hire them?
Thanks for reading, good luck with your job searches and if you want more ideas on how to stand out, drop us a note here. If there’s enough interest, we’ll post some more.
Let us know how you get on!
Jeremy.
Graysons.