About two years ago, I began noticing an increase in wages at fast-food restaurants. Instead of the usual $5 an hour, signs strategically posted near the drive-through lane were boasting $8, $9 and even $10 an hour. Manager positions were paying $30,000 and more.
Granted, these aren"t easy jobs and the money is hardly enough to finance a cottage on the Riviera. But the trend is interesting, nonetheless. Michael Mount, spokesman for the National Restaurant Association, says wages are up across the board in the restaurant industry.
The reason, of course, is the tight labor market. Restaurants are especially vulnerable to the labor market because of their own expansion. According to Mount, the United States has 831,000 restaurants today. That number is expected to increase to 1 million by 2010. The rise in eateries is due to such diverse factors as the increase in immigration (many new restaurants are started by immigrants) and an economy strong enough to encourage frequent dining out.
Paul M. Stone, membership director of Hospitality Minnesota (http://www.hospitalitymn.com/, (651) 778-2400) says higher wages aren"t the only improvement for workers in the hospitality industry.
"The industry is making the hours much more reasonable, and many employers are adding benefits, such as health care, 401(k)s and flex time," he says.
In addition to restaurants, the hospitality industry includes hotels and motels, resorts, casinos, bed and breakfasts, campgrounds and even cruise ships. Essentially, any place that serves food or offers lodging could be considered part of the hospitality industry.
According to the American Hotel and Motel Association, more than 12 million people work in these jobs nationally, making hospitality the largest private employer in the country.
OK, so now you know the field is big, and the wages are getting better. So what? Why get excited about the kinds of jobs kids get after school?
Good question. Michael Mount says the motto at the National Restaurant Association is "Good for a year or a career." In other words, you can take one of these positions as a stopgap, or you can build a career in the field. The key, Mount says, is the flexibility these jobs offer.
"You can work in the early morning, after school, late at night, all night _ whatever fits your schedule," he says. "And there are positions to fit any age group, all the way up to senior citizens."
Stone agrees that careers can be built in the hospitality industry. "There are career bartenders, chefs and wait staff," he noted. "You can make a good living, in the $40,000 to $50,000 a year range in the better restaurants, working 30 to 35 hours a week. And because you"re working fewer hours, you can stay with it as you get older."
In addition, both Stone and Mount note that the hospitality industry values hard work and experience over educational credentials. Although chefs and cooks need outside training before applying, nearly every other applicant will be judged on a combination of personal characteristics and experience, and then trained on the job.
Once you"ve started in the field, Mount says, "There"s nothing to stop you from running the place someday."
If you decide to give the hospitality industry a try, heed some advice from someone who"s been there (I"ve had a jillion restaurant jobs, from dishwasher to coat-check girl to French crepe-maker, food server and cocktail waitress):
_Decide: Year or career? If this is a stopgap job, just do your job and go home. But if this is a career step, vow to learn everything you can about your position and the position above it. Be ready to move up the ladder.
_Be creative. There are more jobs in the field than server and bartender. How about events planner, catering director, marketing specialist or publicist?
_Don"t job hop. The temptation is intense to move down the street when something makes you crazy at work. But the next place will make you crazy, too. Instead, settle down and get your work done. This is your chance to learn the zen of customer service and humility.
_Manage your money. If you take a tip-based job, it will be very easy to spend all that jingle in your pocket. The better plan is to set aside money for taxes and put a little more in savings to cushion the bad days when no one seems to be tipping.
_If you truly hate it, get out. I happened to love serving people and making their evenings memorable. But I had many co-workers who nourished bad attitudes their entire shifts. Why torture yourself and your customers?
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(Amy Lindgren is president of Prototype Career Services, a St. Paul firm specializing in career transition and job-search strategy. Send your ideas or questions to Amy Lindgren, 626 Armstrong Ave., St. Paul, Minn. 55102. Or use her e-mail address: getajob(AT)prototypecareerservice.comor see her Web site, http://www.prototypecareerservice.com/
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