Working in Hospitality Jobs Worldwide

Hospitality jobs exist everywhere, why not try one out?

Hospitality jobs can be found anywhere in the world, so why not snatch one up and pack your bags. Many of the jobs found in five star hotels around the world are looking for people who speak fluent English and are star hospitality workers. This could be you.

In this article we'll talk about what skills are beneficial for a career in worldwide hospitality service and how to search for employers that will welcome your skills in whatever country you get. While we do focus on finding work abroad, most of this also applies to those seeking work domestically. It makes sense as you don't have to worry about any visa or language barriers.

Who gets hired

Every year the world gets a little smaller, with more people traveling farther for work and pleasure. This means hospitality employers are always looking for their next all star. Positions they regularly look to fill include, but are not limited to cook, chef, front desk, concierge, housekeeping, maintenance, landscaping, pool attendant, child care, sales and accounting. These are all positions that need to be filled and who better to help fill those roles than you. That is, as long as you have what they are looking for.

Important Skills

You speakin' my language? The obvious skill to land a hospitality job abroad is whether or not you speak the local language. This is important as you will need to be able to communicate to the people you work with. If you can do this in their native tongue, you have the upper hand. If you only speak English, then you might want to focus on hotels in English speaking countries, a task that will be more difficult as the amount of people applying for those jobs is huge.

If you speak arabic, consider a job in Dubai. If you speak Spanish, try your hands in Central or South America or Spain.

Also, for those English only speakers, you can get work in countries where the local language is harder to pick up. The middle east, China, and Southeast Asia come to mind. You will know whether or not they allow English speakers by the website Employment section. If it's in English, then they probably hire English speakers.

What's your deal? The next important and obvious skill will be your prior experience. In your resume and cover letter talk up your previous hospitality experience. This is what they want to know. After that you need to stress you experiences working internationally. The big chain hotels will love you if you've studied or lived abroad.

They can't afford to hire someone from overseas who has never left home because they might not like being away from their comfort area. If you are used to spending long amounts of time away from home, than you will understand the stresses that come with working abroad.

Where to apply? Who's hiring?

Think of every big name hotel you know of and make a list; Hilton, Marriott, The W, Ritz-Carlton, and the list goes on., Now start thinking of places where lots of tourists go on holidays, the sort of place where English is commonly spoken. Grand Cayman, Cancun, Bermuda, Europe. Type them into Expedia or another hotel booking website to learn the names of the 5 Star hotels in these cities as another alternative to apply for hospitality jobs.

These establishments are the first place to start. Do so by going to there companies official website and make your way to the Careers page. Here you will generally always find a list of openings, which you can search by location. I've already gotten the ball rolling with the companies below.

Kempinski Hotels - Providing 5-Star service at locations around the world.
Emaar Properties - Hiring staff in Dubai for shopping centers and hotels, including the Burj Kalifa
Marriott Worldwide - Who hasn't heard of Marriott or one of their 18 brands?

Many of these companies may require you to have an acceptable working visa for the country they are in. If this is your situation, fear not. There is still hope, which comes disguised as a little thing called "education". If you're also considering a full fledged career in hospitality, you should then try your hand at some classes in 5-Star or Silver Service while you look for work. After graduation you will also find it easier to get into a placement program.

Higher Learning

Most big chain hotels also place employees abroad as they send them through the system to move up in the company. As well I have seen many company websites which offer internships and placements abroad to recent graduates from hospitality and 5 star service training.

Schools and colleges around the world offer classes on providing proper 5 Star service and if your considering this as a career, than start with the schooling. It won't guarantee you a job, but it will allow you to start out above the rest of the wolf pack.

Recruit this

Last but certainly not least are the recruiters who seek out employers for various hospitality jobs around the world. These companies maintain a database of prospective employees looking for a job and list public job openings.

Be careful when working with a recruiter: there are unscrupulous people who pretend to be part of a legitimate hiring company and request personal information or money for their hiring services. If something seems fishy, don't continue that conversation. You should never have to pay money to get hired. Legitimate recruiters earn their money from fees they charge to the company in return for finding them quality crew such as yourself.

VHospitality - Hiring hospitality professionals around the world. A personally recommended company.
HCareers UK - A service providing leads for hospitality jobs in the UK
HCareers USA - The same folks, but in the states

With the worldwide hospitality industry working harder than ever, your chances of being hired are excellent. Even if you want that position abroad, consider working for a sister company or local branch and work your way up. You'll never get anywhere if you don't start somewhere.