How to make an impact in your new catering / hospitality role…
Fantastic! You’ve just secured that amazing new position that you’ve wanted for ages. You’ve worked really hard to get it, but now it’s time to start and really begin to make your mark. Whether you’re a chef or you work front of house and whatever level you work at, here are some tips to ensure those first few weeks and months in your new role are a success.
Start before you even get offered the job
If you’ve got particular strengths or particular skills that you would like to develop, you can sometimes get your new job off to a flying start by bringing these things up at the recruitment stage. The more the person who is hiring knows about you the better and you could even find your new job being moulded slightly to suit your particular skills. This can help you instantly make an impact when you start.
Be positive and show effort
Whether you’re working in the kitchen or front of house, whatever the role and whatever level you are at, catering and hospitality are industries where there are no hiding places. It’s a new job so you may feel a bit overwhelmed, that is completely natural but don’t let this affect you too much and try to bring a positive vibe to the workplace. Don’t be worried if you’re a particularly inexperienced member of staff and are scared of making mistakes. There’s no shame in making a mistake, it’s not making an effort to be the best you can be that is the real crime. Ultimately, the more effort and positivity you put in during your first few weeks, the better you’ll fit in and you’ll make an impact with your bosses.
Don’t make enemies
Working in a kitchen or front of house requires you to work in close collaboration with other people. There will be people that you will get along with and there may be the odd person that you don’t quite see eye-to-eye with. This is completely natural, but it is how you deal with it that is important. Simply be professional and behave in a courteous manner. Quite often, those people you don’t get along with in the early days of a job can become some of your best friends. Either way, don’t let a relationship either good or bad with a colleague ruin things for you. If you can show that you can work with a wide range of people with a wide range of personalities, it is always going to look favourable for you.
Communicate clearly
In the vast number of the jobs we place people in, they’re completely happy with their new role. However, from time-to-time, there is the odd person that may start to think that it is not for them for a particular reason. Our advice? Talk to us! You’ll be surprised that often these little misgivings can be completely overcome and some of our most successful placements are those people that initially came to us not too sure whether they had done the right thing. We can look at things from an outside perspective and talk to your new employer for you if you like. It’s in everyone’s interest to have happy and engaged staff to don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need to.
