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Being celebrated across the United Kingdom this week is Springboard’s annual Front of House Festival. Established in 2013, the festival aims to raise the profile of job opportunities, in both the waiting profession and in front of house roles, with a focus on career progression. In the spirit of the festival we wanted to show people some of the advantages of working in front of house and why they shouldn’t be so quick to pass judgement on a career in the sector.
Leaving your work at work
When you leave at the end of the day you can totally switch off from anything work related, as a waiter or host you’ll have no deadlines to meet or additional work to do when you get home.
Work is always available
The high staff turnover rate, which plagues the hospitality industry, means that restaurants are always hiring. Should you ever find yourself without a job it won’t take you long to find another, and to a certain extent this also means you can be selective with where you work. For example if the commute to work is long, a restaurant closer to where you live is likely to be hiring in the near future.
First class co-workers
Whether it’s venting about a rude customer or eyeing off the cute boys at table eight, the dining room of a restaurant has as a way of bringing people together. If you work at the same venue for long enough your co-workers will become family and going to work won’t feel like a chore.
Ability to be replaced
Although this may seem like a negative it is definitely a positive. When you have last minute plans or you just need a night off most restaurants will let you swap shifts which another server or host. Other job roles in a restaurant such as the chef or bartender are less likely to have this flexibility.
You have lots of options
Restaurants are found worldwide and front of house roles operate the same no matter which country you’re in, with the exception of language that is. Working as a host or server can give you the freedom to travel the world and support yourself financially while you do.
Working hour flexibility
Although you’ll have to work weekends and nights not working a traditional 9-5 job does have its advantages. Running errands like trips to the bank or shops are made easier and you’ll never have to worry about commuter traffic. The flexibility of front of house work may also give you the opportunity to pursue other interests such as learning a language.
