Jobs and Careers Spring 2019 - 110

F

rom basic bed and breakfast accommodation
to luxurious grand hotels and everything in
between, there are around 9,500 hotels in the
UK. People will always need places to stay
and those establishments need efficient, reliable staff to
keep operations running smoothly and ensure guests are
happy, comfortable and keen to return.

Concierge
The first point of contact for hotel guests
is the concierge, who is responsible
for making sure they get excellent
service. Duties include greeting
guests, booking taxis, making dinner
reservations, delivering messages and
recommending local attractions. You
may also manage door staff and porters.
What skills and qualifications do I
need? Experience or qualifications in
hospitality or hotel management will
stand you in good stead, but it's more
important to have a professional, outgoing
personality and be able to build a rapport

with guests. You'll need to be confident,
adaptable and reliable, with good local
knowledge. Foreign languages skills are an
advantage. Apprenticeships are available.
How much can I earn? Salaries start at
£14,000, rising to £20,000 with experience.

Front-of-house manager
As the person in a hotel who supervises
staff who deal directly with customers -
including reception, porters and concierges
- you'll oversee front-desk operations,
set department objectives, evaluate guest
satisfaction and manage budgets, policies
and procedures. Shift work is common.

"I've learned so much on the job"

Rachel Neilly is
bar supervisor
for Imperial
London Hotels
Previously I worked in bars,
coffee shops, kitchens and
restaurants, so when the
opportunity came up to
work for Imperial London

110 /// JOBS & CAREERS

Hotels I knew I'd be able
to use my experience and
skills within the company.
Much of my learning
has been done on the job,
which is great. For more
formal training, the ILH
Group Academy has lots of
courses that will help me
with my role and support
me to develop. I've learned
a lot about how other
departments work too, as
we work closely together.
Since being promoted
to a supervisor role, I've
been given the chance to

take on more responsibility
and train other staff.
This has also given me
experience in dealing with
different challenges, and
I've been encouraged to
improve my knowledge
and learn new skills. It can
be challenging working
with people with different
levels of experience, but
you need to find a balance.
I really enjoy working
in such a fast-paced
job and it's interesting
working in an alcohollicensed environment!

What skills and qualifications do
I need? A degree or diploma in hotel
management is an advantage, as is any
experience of front-of-house operations
in hotels, retail or other leisure sectors.
However, some people work their way up
from a position such as concierge. You'll
need good leadership, communication
and people-management skills, and
the ability to thrive under pressure.
How much can I earn? Salaries start
at £17,000, rising to £33,000 for an
experienced manager in a large hotel.

Laundry assistant
You'll be responsible for ensuring all
bed linen, towels and staff uniforms are
clean and available on a strict schedule.
This includes finishing items by drying,
pressing and folding. You'll also be
providing laundry services for guests.
The role may also include stock taking
and placing orders, tagging items for
identification, maintaining orderly
storage and carrying out quality control
checks. Shift patterns are common.
With experience, you can progress to
laundry supervisor and other housekeeping
management roles. You could also
start your own laundry business.
What skills and qualifications do I
need? No qualifications are required,
but you need to be well organised, able to
follow instructions (such as for running
machines, handling detergents and
washing delicate fabrics) and have good
time-keeping skills and a positive attitude.
You'll also need to be reasonably fit as
Jobs and Careers Spring 2019

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