The Business of FoodService: Career Opportunities Abound

By: Steve Gibson

According to the National Restaurant Association’s 2017 Workforce Outlook, the food & beverage industry is set to add 61,000 non-foodservice jobs over the next 10 years. We’re talking about positions outside of a single restaurant or business unit that support operations, such as multi-unit managers, corporate chefs, directors of marketing, directors of construction, vice presidents of human resources, beverage directors and multitudes of other specialists all the way up the food chain to c-suite leaders.

One thing I’ve learned from many years of recruiting is that clients have one common request when asking us to find the perfect person for their job opening – they want to see candidates who come exclusively from the restaurant industry.

What other business requires its employees to do what restaurateurs do every day: predict needs, order, receive, manufacture, sell, deliver, and collect payment from customers all while navigating a challenging food code, minimizing waste, ensuring customer delight and hoping to eke out a profit? No, it may not be rocket science; but, there just aren’t many business models that compare.

Add the uniqueness of our industry to the dramatic growth of multi-unit restaurants, hotels, casinos, & contract food service groups that require knowledgeable leaders to manage all of the many moving parts of their large organizations. The result is the perfect recipe yielding abundant opportunities for those wishing to pursue a full career in the hospitality industry.

If you aspire to grow in your career, you can’t be complacent. Where you are today is a reflection of the education, skills and performance that got you there. The question is, where do you want to go tomorrow? Longevity in positions and with the same company isn’t as valued as it once was. I would even go so far as to say that extended time periods in the same role is more often viewed as a red flag than an indicator of a strong performer.

In an era of newly capitalized fast-growing concepts, private equity firms that purchase whole companies, and mature brands that innovate and grow on-trend concepts, high level leadership opportunities are now more available than ever before.

To capitalize on career growth opportunities, it’s critical to keep one eye open for positions that can help you achieve your goals. Whether it’s stronger earning potential, a better quality of life, or aligning yourself with a faster-growing company and a bigger challenge – the opportunities are out there. You’re in the right industry and if you play your cards well, your career just might be like a room without a roof.