Employment in the catering industry means more opportunities than just working in hotels. Cruise ships, resorts, spa locations, private bed and breakfasts, retirement communities and any place that offers overnight lodging employ catering staff. These opportunities are open to almost all age groups, especially to those who are looking to work part time. In addition, the industry has a high turnover which ensures plenty of employment opportunities. Among the jobs available are chefs, cooks, wait staff and food preparation workers. There are also a large number of management jobs available.

The types of catering jobs are diverse and the catering and hospitality industry represents the largest occupational group of all workers. Management jobs include regional management, front desk management, training and personnel management, operations management and night management. Catering employees fall under various departments and careers include food and beverage managers, bar managers, housekeepers, catering managers and executive chefs.

Depending on the location of your employment, there are other jobs available:

Hotel jobs include room service which can pay very well with the tips you receive. Food service jobs are one of the hotel jobs that often require college training and include cooks and chefs.

Catering jobs are a different kind of hotel job. A caterer is normally a higher paying job than a hotel worker as the wait staff do not make tips and cooks do not cook from menus. Catering jobs are sometimes on an as needed basis, which means a lot of evenings and weekends.

Bar jobs are available for the outgoing and enthusiastic individuals who are team players and can provide quality customer service. These jobs earn a large amount of money in tips. Attending bar tending school can help in landing a job and previous experience will help.

Hotel management jobs often require college degrees, usually a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management. These careers pay more and offer a lot of flexibility as far as the positions offered. These types of jobs have a high turnover rate and sometimes require relocation in order to be considered for promotion.

When working with the public, catering employees will deal with all types of people and need to be able to communicate with a gracious and hospitable manner, even at the end of a long and stressful day. Most catering businesses rely on “word of mouth” and hope to meet and exceed the expectations of visitors, and this requires the staff to act as polite as possible.

Catering jobs are growing in availability at an average rate of 11 percent a year since 2006. These jobs offer opportunities for regular employees as well as students since they offer a lot of flexibility.