Job Profiles

Head Chef - The Head Chef – also known as the Executive Chef or Maitre de Cuisine - is in charge of everything related to the kitchen including menu creation, staff management and business aspects. While the position requires extensive cooking experience and often involves actively cooking, it also involves a high level of management and business aspects of the kitchen. To reach the position of head chef you will have worked your way up through the ranks and gained a number of years worth of experience

Sous Chef -The Sous Chef is the direct assistant of the executive chef and is second in command. They may be responsible for scheduling, and filling in for the executive chef when they are off-duty. They also will fill in or assist the chef de partie when needed. Smaller operations may not have a sous chef, while larger operations may have multiple.

Commis Chef - A Commis Chef job is the entry level position for the start of your career as a chef. You will work under the line of chefs in the kitchen to learn each food section, gaining knife and food preparation skills under the supervision of more experienced chefs. The commis chef will experience the pace and demands of a kitchen environment as well as the different jobs involved. This is a fantastic way to find out if you're cut out for culinary work.

Chef de Partie - A chef de partie is in charge of a particular area of production. In large kitchens each station chef might have several cooks and/or assistants. In most kitchens however, the station chef is the only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of their own, starting with "First Cook", then "Second Cook", and so on as needed.

Kitchen Porter – The kitchen porter plays a crucial role in the smooth running of any kitchen. It’s often an arduous job involving a lot of cleaning and often some heavy lifting but is a great entry level position if you’re interested in a career in cookery. Your employer will often offer you the opportunity to go on training courses and work your way up the industry ladder.

Bar Staff – Bar work can vary from place to place but at its most basic it will involve serving drinks to customers, keeping the bar area clean and tidy, keeping the bar stocked up and cash handling. Most bars will only require you to pour pints, serve wine and mix simple spirit and mixer drinks. If it is a cocktail bar however, a higher level of skills, expertise and experience may be required. Bar work can be enjoyable but is highly sought after and most employers will require at least some experience.

Waiting Staff – Sure anyone can do it but not anyone can do it well. A good waiter/waitress is one who’s always got their head in the game, knows what every table is doing, how long everybody has been waiting for and how long they might have to left wait. You need to be calm, composed and able to keep your head when all about you are losing theirs – and so very often blaming it on you. A friendly personality goes a long way – there’s a lot to be said for service with a smile.

General Manager (Restaurant) - Restaurant managers ensure that restaurants operate efficiently and profitably whilst maintaining their reputation and ethos. Restaurant managers must co-ordinate a variety of activities: as well as maintaining high standards of food, service and health and safety, they are responsible for the business performance of their restaurant. Restaurant management combines strategic planning, organising shift patterns, and day-to-day management activities. Depending on the nature of the outlet, the role can involve some creativity around marketing, business development and other areas.

Hotel Porter – The porter is often the first person to greet guests upon arrival at the hotel which means you will need to be both presentable and friendly. The porter’s job may include helping guests and their luggage to their room, arranging transportation, running errands, taking messages as well as a range of other simple tasks. You’ll rarely need experience but it may be an advantage, as with a good level of education.

Hotel Receptionist – The receptionist is responsible for introducing the guest to the hotel and making them feel welcome. You’ll be required to deal with bookings and cancellations and handling requests and enquiries from guests throughout the duration of their stay. You’re unlikely to need any formal qualifications to be a receptionist but a good standard of education will be expected and some customer service experience will certainly increase your employability. Increasingly computerised a minimum level of IT literacy will be to your advantage as well.

General Manager (Hotel) - A hotel manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of a hotel and its staff and has commercial accountability for planning, organising and directing all hotel services, including front-of-house, banqueting and housekeeping. Financial management plays a major role. The manager must strike a balance between customer satisfaction and effective business management, ensuring financial viability, and facilitate a smooth-running customer service, whilst ensuring staff work together as a team.

Assistant/Deputy Hotel Manager – Provides support to the General Manager and facilitates the general running of the hotel. Management experience in hospitality, retail or leisure will be required; hospitality or marketing qualifications or training will often come in handy.

Barista – Barista is the trade term for “coffee maker”, one who excels in the art of coffee making. Most coffee shops will provide full training in the art of the latte so you’ll rarely need much experience but some time spent working in a customer service environment will be to your advantage.

Housekeeper – Housekeepers, sometimes known as housekeeping managers, are responsible for organising the staff in a hotel to make sure that rooms are kept clean and tidy and welcoming. They are responsible for supervising staff and encouraging effective teamwork, and often for managing the housekeeping budget of the establishment. You may not need any qualifications but you will often be required to have a relevant background in hospitality.

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Applying for hospitality jobs

The simplest way to make an application is to send an email with your CV or complete an online application form that goes directly to the employer.

Alternatively you can telephone employers directly and ask them to send you an information pack and application form

If you complete an online application form the company may contact you immediately and invite you for an interview. Alternatively they may send you further information and a more detailed application form to complete. Recruitment procedures will vary from employer to employer and also according to the time of year.

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