If you’re looking to get some extra dosh while you’re at TAFE or uni, you want to develop some of your professional skills, or maybe you need something flexible to work around your hectic schedule, look no further than a career in hospitality. We took a look at why a hospo gig’s a great shout while you’re living your best student life:
You can earn some pretty good money
The great thing about being a student is that you’re less likely to have commitments like needing to be home on weekends, late at night or public holidays, which leaves some of the juiciest shifts as yours for the taking. Working these days on a casual basis means that you can earn 1.5 or 2x your normal wage, with extra money awarded for working late at night or early in the morning.
That means that with the right shifts you could stand to earn plenty more than an entry level office job. Plus, you get the benefits of working casually, such as flexible rosters.
It naturally works around your schedule
That leads us to our next point. If you’re studying with in-person classes, typically you’re looking at a class schedule that can have you at uni during classic business hours – 9-5, Monday to Friday. That can really get in the way of working in your classic office job or in retail, where they might expect you to work 40 hours a week during the same time period. Even if you get a part-time role, it’s still a hassle having to change your working hours every time you start a new semester and timetable.
The great thing about hospitality is that most gigs will have you working after hours, when the people in all those office jobs head out for a night on the town. Working evenings and weekends gives you the space you need to focus on your studies during the day. Plus, if you work casually, you can adjust your hours to work around whatever comes up in your life. If you need to knuckle down and focus on an assignment or exams, you can chat to your manager about swapping out a few shifts. Or maybe if uni break’s arrived, you could pick up a few extra shifts and squirrel away some cash for your next trip overseas.
It looks great on your CV
We have a whole article just about this, but while you’re waiting to land a grad job in your dream career, you can still build some of those essential skills in a hospo gig. Whether you’re honing your customer service skills with the regulars, learning how to work in teams during the 6pm rush, handling important responsibilities while closing or honing your attention to detail by handling bookings, there’s so much to learn in hospitality that you can take with you to your next job.
Your mates are probably doing the same thing
Because of all the reasons we’ve already mentioned, working in hospitality while you’re studying is basically a rite of passage for young Aussies getting their degrees done. That means that if you’re looking to hang out with your mates, you might actually find that your old Friday and Saturday hang outs get replaced by Thursday, Sunday or even Monday night gathos. Loads of venues will even have a dedicated ‘hospo night’ where industry professionals kick up their feet, meet like-minded (and like-scheduled people) and even enjoy discounted meals and drinks in some places! Having everyone’s schedules synced up to the hospitality lifestyle puts you in the right situation for some epic memories and mates to make.
Feeling inspired and ready to take the hospo world by storm? Whether you need an RSA to get yourself started at your local, or you’re looking to hone your skills, Hospitality Institute of NSW has you covered!
