Passion, learning, personal development and giving back are among the most common drivers of why people choose to work in the hospitality industry. When you’ve been heads down in the weeds for a long time it's understandable to start feeling burnt out and even start to lose sight of what you’re working towards and why.
In addition to a laundry list of technical skills that experienced back of house professionals obtain over time, soft skills are equally important to develop and highlight when job searching. Here are some suggestions on how you can speak to the skills you possess when at your next job interview or refreshing your resume.
If you’ve worked in a “back of house” role at a restaurant or a food & beverage operation, you’re likely to have the following skills among many others. Consider including them the next time you are describing your abilities and skills to others.
- Adaptability
- Budgeting / Food costing
- Cleanliness
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Delegation
- Detail Oriented
- Equipment maintenance
- Event management
- Focus
- Food ordering
- Inventory management
- Leadership
- Listening
- Menu development
- Motivating
- Multitasking
- Organization
- Patience
- Proactive
- Resilience
- Scheduling
- Teamwork
- Time management
- Vendor management
Whether you are moving up the ranks at your current company or you have decided to explore an entirely new area, each job should help you get one step closer to the next and should fulfill you both professionally and personally.
Pro-tip: Identify and keep a running list of skills you want to intentionally work on as well as those that you feel you have a good grasp on already.
