The Hospitality Industry For Students
The hospitality industry is a fantastic place to work in, and there are many hospitality jobs available to students.
A range of skills can be learnt that can benefit you for the rest of your life. Even if you are only working in a job for a short period.
Want To Skip Ahead?
- Student Survival Cooking Skills
- Gap Year Jobs In The Hospitality Industry
- Bake For Fellow Students
- Summer Student Jobs In Kitchens
- Cooking Away From Home For The First Time
Working as a chef on a part-time basis, the summer or taking up full employment for a whole gap year is all possible.
However, It’s not just working in a professional kitchen as a chef that is possible. To follow, are opportunities out there that can be taken up by college students who want to earn extra money during their study times.
Also, I believe that any time spent in a professional kitchen will result in the person picking up the useful life long skills.
The Hospitality Jobs For Students
There is a range of hospitality jobs that can be taken up by any student who wants to take advantage of working in the hospitality industry.
These jobs include chef, waiter/waitress, doorman, housekeeper, barman or working on a maintenance team.
There are many students who study at college or university who have already taken up part-time jobs in hospitality. For a lot of people, this is a fantastic opportunity to earn extra money and make some new friends.
There is a wide range of jobs that students take up, If you are a student then one of these jobs may be suitable for you.
To follow, this post includes, what you should know about the best part-time jobs for students.
The first job that you may think of may be working as a waiter/waitress in the restaurant.
Taking up a waiting job in a busy restaurant may be suitable for you. With many places offering good tips or a share of the service charge for the restaurant team.
Tips Before Taking A Restaurant Job
Always be sure to check how the tips and service charge are shared out. And ask a current waiter/waitress about the tips or service charge, and how much they take home each week.
Places will vary, on the amount in tips that are taken and how they will be shared out.
It’s a good idea to get some insider information on this before you start a job. Other jobs that are available to students that may not initially come to mind and are worth looking at include A doorman!
Have you seen the guys greeting the guests at 5star hotels? This is a job to consider, the salary for a door may be pretty average however the tips they can take are not.
This is a job where a lot of tips can be taken to top up the salary.
Usually, the tips are all handed into the doorman team and divided up. Many of the 5-star hotels will have celebrities and notable guests staying.
So you will need to have a professional approach at all time.
Other jobs to consider include kitchen staff, bar staff, tour guide or working for an event company.
Hospitality Jobs For Students Or Gap Years
Part-time hospitality jobs can help college or university student make extra money. This can help intuition or accommodation fees.
Maybe you are finishing your current level of study and want to take a year out.
Or maybe you have worked a career you don’t enjoy anymore and are looking for a change into a career you love.
There are many opportunities out there to take up a gap year job in the hospitality industry.
Gap Year Jobs In Hospitality
Once you have taken your first steps you may even decide to stay and progress a career! Also, you may want to take a whole year out,
A gap year job can be taken in a range of places, A gap year job as a chef is a great choice to also learn an important life skill.
It’s straightforward to get a kitchen assistant job or a commis chef position in a restaurant. By working in a professional kitchen, at the bottom of the brigade ladder you will learn a lot.
What you can learn to include health and safety, basic cooking skills and have a better understanding of how food is made.
Health And Safety
As a Commis, you will learn about areas such as cross-contamination, how to cook food safely the causes of food poisoning and how to prevent it.
Basic Cooking Skills
New chefs will learn basic cooking skills. These include roasting foods, steaming, boiling and using kitchen tools and equipment.
You will also gain knife skills by practising them every day. So even if you only stick it out for a year, a lot of important life skills can be picked up.
How Food Is Made
By working as a chef in a professional kitchen you will start to understand how foods are made. You will use the ingredients that go into dishes and how to make different basic foods.
Understanding what goes into dishes is good to understand, you may be surprised by the amount of salt, sugar, cream and butter that is used in some foods.
This will, in turn, help you to cook healthier and tastier foods for friends or family. Learning how to cook foods by using a low amount of salt, sugar, butter and cream will be beneficial to anyone.
How To Survive When Cooking Away From Home
Many students, especially if they are going to university for the first time will need to start cooking for themselves. This can be a daunting experience if no previous cooking skills have been learnt.
No more relying on meals being prepared for you, it’s time to get into the kitchen and cook. It’s important to have at least a couple of dishes under your belt that can be made quickly and on a budget. By learning a basic range of skills it’s possible to make a good range of dishes.
Student Survival Kit Cooking Skills
A student survival kit cooking skills include; quick and easy dishes and the tools you really need all on a budget.
Tools
The basic tools, including what you really need.
The basic tools you will need such as the correct knives to use for better preparation and the basic skills for the best chef knife performance. Which knives are the best value for money? Chopping boards, spatulas, colanders are all essential and can be picked up easily on a budget.
Pasta Cooking
Cooking dried pasta and the different types to impress your friends
Cooking pasta is a skill to master and in doing so a lot of dishes open up that can be made quickly and also on a budget. Basic pasta types that are most common include, penne, spaghetti, macaroni and lasagne.
Further pasta types are,
- fusilli,
- cannelloni,
- ravioli,
- tagliatelle,
- fettuccine,
- pappardelle,
- orzo,
- farfalle and the list goes on.
However, once you have learnt how to cook one style of pasta the same techniques are used to cook many others.
Once you have the skill of cooking pasta practised and mastered. It is fantastic to have a couple of basic sauces under your belt to start with.
Basic Sauces
A tomato sauce – A meaty bolognese sauce – A bechamel sauce
Basic sauces to practice cooking are the tomato sauce, a béchamel sauce and a beef bolognese sauce. With a tomato sauce as a base many other dishes can be made, simply adding herbs such as basil, chilli or black olives will add a new flavour to the dish.
A béchamel sauce that is a base made from a mixture of flour, butter/oil and milk that can be made into a cheese sauce, a mustard sauce or other ingredients that are left over. Master the tomato sauce and béchamel sauce and you will have a great couple of base sauces under your belt.
More advanced sauces such as a bolognese sauce will take more time to cook but will add another popular dish to your recipe book.
There are tips and advice on making a bolognese sauce. These include using a grater to prepare the onions and carrots instead of using technical chopping skills.
Learning The Basics Of Food Safety
Important information on health and safety, don’t poison yourself or your date!
It is very important to understand the basics of food safety. One of the main areas is the issue of cross-contamination. Do you know that raw chicken is a high-risk food poisoning ingredient? By getting the preparation wrong can be a cause of a poisoning disaster.
Cross contamination with raw chicken can cause an extremely nasty form of food poisoning. You need to be aware of these risks and how to prevent them from happening. Cross contamination is just one of the areas that need highlighting when it comes to food safety.
And of course, working in a professional kitchen will be a place where food safety can be learnt and practised.
These are just a few of the areas that will be covered in the student survival kit cooking skills. When going to university for the first time with little or no kitchen skills, then cooking lessons may be suitable.
There’s no need to be worried about getting into the kitchen and cooking for the first time. These skills are valuable for any student to learn and make the most of the university experience.
Once you have the basic skills mastered, a part-time job in a professional kitchen may become a job you are interested in. This can be a great opportunity to progress your kitchen skills and earn extra money.
Summer Student Jobs In A Pro Kitchen
Another opportunity that can be a choice to consider is working in a professional kitchen over the summer breaks from college or university.
If you are looking to earn extra money and pick up some basic kitchen skills.
Many restaurants will have a busy period over the summer months and often employ extra staff over this period.
If a part-time job is not an opportunity you want to look into then maybe a summer job is more suitable.
Working in a professional kitchen is a fantastic opportunity to pick up and learn new skills. Even only working for a short period over the summer can be a benefit to anybody.
A lot of basic skills can be learnt from professional chefs.
Baking Products As A Foodpreneur At College
If you already have cooking skills under your belt or are learning them whilst working in a kitchen. Another idea to consider for any foodpreneurs out there – Baking for fellow students!!
Once you have learnt your new cooking skills may be finding a niche to sell your products to students is a route you want to look into.
Make sure you get the permission of your university or college as not to cause any issues. I have added an example of how this has been done successfully by students out there.
In conclusion, the hospitality industry offers anybody the opportunity to learn life skills that can be very useful. Although, I lean towards working in a professional kitchen to gain extra skills and earn money.
There are a range of opportunities out there and I have given some advice and tips for you to consider if the hospitality industry is something you are thinking about. I have worked with a few chefs over the years who ended up not only taking up a chef job as a part-time opportunity to get through university.
But who has also gone on to work as a professional chef as their main career and been successful at it?
Some people get into the industry and love it so much that this becomes their main focus. Others take up jobs for a short period and decide it’s not for them but learnt some valuable skills on their journey.
There are also people who just need a break from their careers and take up a hospitality job for a year and then go back to their main career.
I hope you have found my post interesting and has given you some areas to consider.
A Look at the Many Gap Year Jobs in the Hospitality Industry
Taking a break before you enrol in college or university? Gap years can provide a needed break from the world of studies. This allows you to de-stress and relax before plunging headlong back into your studies.
However, you will definitely need income during this period. There’s good news. Gap year jobs in hospitality for students can provide not just an income, but a fun environment in which to work.
And may actually whet your appetite for a career in this industry.
What Are Some Of The Best Gap Year Jobs In The Hospitality Industry?
Front Of House Staff
You’ll find a number of front of house positions available for gap year students. These range from five-star properties to local bars and restaurants.
Front of house staff range from waiters and waitresses to cloakroom staff to reception staff and much more.
Generally, they are all “front of the house” positions, and you will not work in the kitchen. Depending on the company in question. You may be able to set your own schedule and work as many (or as few) hours as you like.
However, many places do offer set schedules for those who want predictable rotas.
Catering Assistant
Enjoy working with both food and people? If that sounds interesting, one of the many gap year jobs to consider would be working as a catering assistant.
You may be called on to perform a number of duties, including food prep and cooking, setup, teardown, serving food and drink at an event or venue, equipment transport and a great deal more.
Interestingly, many people actually move from a catering assistant position to becoming an apprentice cook. And then work their way up to being a full-time chef.
Hotel Housekeeping
While not a glamorous position. There is a significant amount of demand for housekeeping staff in hotels, bed and breakfasts, resorts and more. You may be responsible for a broad range of duties, including stocking sundries and supplies in guest room.
Vacuuming and cleaning, removing bedding and making beds, tidying and cleaning counters, tables and furniture and more. Of course, housekeeping staff also work washing machines, clean dishes.
Also, maintain common areas on the property and more.
Landscaping and Maintenance
All hospitality properties have a need for landscaping and maintenance staff. This position may require that you mow the lawn or trim weeds, prune hedges and trees, remove trash and debris, eliminate waste and more.
Note that these positions are most common with large resorts, as well as small properties that cannot afford to outsource their needs to a landscaping or maintenance company.
Cook or Chef
Among the best gap year jobs in the hospitality industry, cook and chef positions provide you with the means to get hands-on experience in the kitchen. Many hotels, restaurants, pubs and other businesses need staff with only minimal experience cooking in order to assume entry-level cook jobs.
This can also be a great summer job for some extra cash. You may be required to work the grill and cook meats and vegetables. You may find a role as a sandwich maker, or as a chef’s assistant. There are many, many cooking-related roles to be filled within these properties.
And you’ll find that they can all provide you with skills, knowledge and experience needed to move forward in the food service industry and move on to become a full chef in your own right.
Gap year jobs can be fun, can allow you to travel the world and experience other cultures, and can be both personally and financially rewarding.
While many people will move on to other industries afterwards, gap year jobs in the hospitality industry can also lay the foundation for a rewarding career.
Pay Your Student Fees by Baking Products for Fellow Students
Perhaps you are a student with some cooking skills and laughed out loud when you read that title above. “Sure,” you might have scoffed, “I’ll pay my student fees with cookies!”. Here’s the thing, according to Forbes, it is entirely possible!.
Described as side gigs and side hustles, using your unique skills to fill a niche is a beneficial choice.
Using Baking Skills To Pay Student Fees
Consider this, “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 5.8 million people between the ages of 25 and 64 held down multiple jobs in 2014.” The story went on to describe how one woman created a special-order sugar cookie business.
This enabled her, and her spouse, to renovate an old house without mortgaging away their futures.
How To Hustle Out Of Student Debts
So, a student facing term fees or piles of tuition related expenses might be able to reasonably side hustle their way to a zero balance. And a degree without ending up in student debt.
While the time she spent on her products might not work for the average student (roughly eight to twelve hours on some batches). The concept of selling baked goods to fellow students is a fantastic one.
How can you do it? It takes a few easy steps. And an initial outlay of cash and work, but once you get the ball rolling, it is probably going to remain in motion – or even accelerate.
Some Steps To Start Paying Your Student Fees
It should begin with you in the kitchen baking your specialities. You’ll then want to develop favourable word of mouth marketing. The best way to do that is to fill said mouths with your best baked goods.
This means samples or freebies to those who you hope to convert into your army of customers and marketers. In the world of marketing, this can be called your disciples. But you’ll think of them more as your biggest fans just spreading the word.
Once you find out if you can legally sell your goods to fellow students, you can begin to develop a formal business. If your school frowns on this practice, you probably have access to a farmer’s market.
And you can use all of the same steps we give here to promote visits to your stall. This will cost more as you’ll need to rent a space, but it may still pay off.
Keep in mind that fellow students may not be overly eager for fancily decorated cakes, cupcakes or cookies. Many might want really great bread and more wholesome baked goods unavailable to them elsewhere.
Do the market research. Find the niche that needs to be filled and then take the time to develop killer recipes. Your test market is right there at your fingertips, so take the time to find out what will sell like hotcakes.
What Do Bakers Really Think About This Idea
Consider what one Baker says about this: “For university students and young people alike, baking real bread is wonderful. It is a great way to break up those long tedious days of essays and coursework.
It is not only a creative outlet but a great way of feeding yourself, your friends and your housemates – on a budget…Real bread is full of vitamin B which is both brain and liver boosting (helps with hangovers!), and all that therapeutic kneading is perfect for pre-exam stress relief.”
How To Get The Customers Interested
Whether you do end up a bread baker or the king or queen of cupcakes and cookies, be sure your goods are signature items. Also then create a fan following. A Facebook page, Twitter account to announce fresh batches or take orders.
A Pinterest page to tease, and a website or blog for information will ensure success. Remember to go old school with business cards to post in local businesses and even loyalty cards – offering freebies after someone buys a certain amount.
Remember to spend a good amount of time figuring out the right prices too. This is a hurdle that crashes some bakers. Look at what other bakeries charge, what it costs to produce each item and then stick with your prices. Why? According to one freelance baker,
“If you’re just taking special orders, the bakers estimated you can earn between £150 and £300 per month; if you’re working 20 hours per week, £600 to £900; and if you start baking lots of [speciality] cakes, much, much more”
Earning a few hundred pounds per month is a wonderful way to tackle student fees and even create a door into a new career!
Considering Summer Student Jobs in a Professional Kitchen
Warmer weather will be coming round soon, and colleges and universities will be starting their summer breaks. It’s time to relax a little, but it’s also time to consider summer student jobs.
You’ll need to earn a little spending money, as well as some cash to get you through the next term and help with things like book costs, rent, food and more.
When it comes to finding summer student jobs, professional kitchens can be the best place to look. You’ll actually find a number of positions here that are ideal for students interested in part-time work.
Many of them can translate into higher-paying jobs in the foodservice industry in the future, as well.
Summer Student Jobs In Hospitality
Kitchen Porter
- Stocking the fridges
- Stocking the freezer
- Washing pots and pans
- Washing plates and another crockery
- Cleaning tables and chairs
- Cleaning cooking tools and kitchen equipment
- Removing waste from the kitchen
- Cleaning work and food preparation surfaces
- Food preparation
Kitchen Assistant
The kitchen assistant position sometimes includes responsibilities usually delegated to kitchen porters, but this can still be one of the best summer student jobs in the foodservice industry.
Kitchen assistants, while still responsible for cleaning and sanitation, as well as for ensuring that health and safety guidelines are followed, generally focus on more food-centred responsibilities and duties, such as:
- Pre-making particular items, including stocks, soups and sauces for later shifts
- Preparing dishes under the instruction of a chef or sous chef
- Support chefs in creating dishes, plating food and moving food to be served to diners
- Cold food presentation
- Cleaning tools and equipment
- Cleaning dishes, pots, pans and more
- Washing down counters and cleaning food preparation surfaces
- Once you have some basic skills in cooking, you can even look into making money from your creations. Consider baking cakes for fellow students and charging a fee for your products.
Waiting Staff
You knew this one was coming. The fact remains that being part of a restaurant’s waiting staff can definitely be one of the best summer jobs for students for a number of different reasons. The schedule is very flexible. There’s the potential to earn a lot of money in tips.
You can translate waiting staff experience into jobs in any number of other restaurants, as well. Of course, the right restaurant will also offer a fast-paced, fun environment that’s actually enjoyable to work in.
Bar Staff
Bar staff general serves drinks, but some also serve food. In fact, the work can be quite varied and will consist of things that range from cleaning barware and taps to serving patrons to cleaning the floors, bar counter, stools and more.
Bar staff positions can be incredibly varied and offer flexible schedules as well as the chance to earn a decent wage (plus tips in many instances).
Make sure to consider event bar staff positions as well, particularly during summer festivals throughout the UK.
These are just a few of the best summer student jobs in professional kitchens and restaurants in general.
Not only will these positions provide you with an income during the summer months, but many of them can translate into higher-paying, better positions down the road.
For instance, it is only a short step from being a kitchen assistant to being a cook, and then to becoming a chef. A summer job can very easily open up new avenues in terms of potential lifelong careers, particularly if you are interested in cooking food.
What You Should Know About The Best Part Time Jobs for Students
Attending college or university and looking to earn a little extra cash? You will find that positions in the foodservice industry are some of the best part-time jobs for students.
They can offer flexible hours, training that can help you move forward should you decide on a career in this industry. And can also be a lot of fun, as well.
So, what are the best part-time jobs for students in this industry?
Best Part Time Jobs for Students
Restaurant Staff
Yes, it sounds like a cliché. But working as a member of the front of house team at a local restaurant is definitely one of the best part-time jobs for students. One reason for this is the flexibility offered in scheduling.
With the right restaurant, you may be able to all but set your own schedule, tailoring your shifts around your studies. And the rest of your life. Another reason to consider this position is that you can actually earn a great deal if you work in the right restaurant.
Tips can more than double your actual hourly earnings (or more, depending on the venue). Of course, you do need to have good people skills to be successful as a wait staff member.
You will also need a good memory and good observation skills.
Starting On A Chef Career Path As A Kitchen Assistant
If you’re interested in the food service industry but don’t want to work in front of the house. You might consider becoming a kitchen assistant. This is one of the best part-time hospitality jobs for students for a number of reasons, including the flexibility offered.
Often, these positions will require that you work earlier in the day, particularly if the restaurant wants you to focus on helping with preparation for meals. This will be a good learning experience to grasp the cooking basics.
With that being said, you might work during the busiest times of the day, as well, and will be responsible for everything from cleaning tools and equipment to making sure that food preparation surfaces are sanitised and ready to be used.
Note that not all restaurants require kitchen assistants, as some will use existing kitchen staff for this position.
– Bartender
Tending bar is a time-honoured profession in the UK, and it can also be very lucrative with flexible hours, which makes it one of the best part-time jobs for students.
The tending of bar offers the ability to work in the evenings and at night, but can also offer morning and afternoon shifts depending on the restaurant or bar in question.
You will definitely need to know at least a little bit about bartending before applying, but there really isn’t much required in the way of formal training or knowledge. And, if you have good people skills. Can keep up with busy shifts, you can make a lot of money during busier periods through tips.
– Tour Guide
Do you live in a historic area or one that is heavily trafficked by tourists? If so, you may find that a position as a tour guide can be very rewarding. You’ll have a flexible schedule, although you might need to work mornings and afternoons.
And you can make a decent hourly wage plus tips depending on the organisation with which you work. Tour guide positions can be found throughout the UK, and are not constrained to large cities like London.
Although you’ll certainly find more available positions in larger cities.
– Event Staff
Events require that venue operators bring on extra staff to handle responsibilities ranging from crowd control to food service to ticketing. You’ll find events ranging from the automotive industry to food festivals and everything in between.
These can be very lucrative and can offer extreme flexibility for students in need.
These are just a few of the best part-time jobs for students in the UK. With a little research, you can find dozens of other options, particularly in and around the food service industry.
Cooking Away from Home For The First Time
Are you a new student at a university, or otherwise away from home for the first time? One of the most important things you can do for yourself right away is learning to cook a few basic dishes for each meal time.
While you are learning how to think critically, write better, or develop the skills you need for your career, you should also be learning the skills necessary to live on your own.
One essential skill being cooking. With obesity rates rising the world over, learning how to cook is vital for your health if nothing else.
Reasons to Learn to Cook
Cooking can save you money. It is nearly always more affordable to buy ingredients than it is to eat out. It may not look like it when you consider that you can get a whole meal for very cheap at the local fast food restaurant. But consider that with the same amount of money, you could feed yourself for the entire day, if not longer, by cooking.
Cooking makes you self-sufficient, which is a necessary quality to have if you are living on your own. It also keeps you healthy, because you have total control over what you are putting into your body.
Cooking can boost your social skills. You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone in your adult life who doesn’t appreciate a home cooked meal. Whether that means you’re impressing your friends when it’s your turn to host a movie night, or you’re charming a date with a delicious meal, you’ll have the confidence to pull it off.
Cooking can be a great way to get creative. Ingredients can be combined in an endless number of ways, and recipes can always be experimented with, tweaked for your taste, or created from scratch after you’ve gotten a handle on basic flavour pairing.
How Can I Learn to Cook As A Beginner
There are many ways to go about learning to cook and maybe even taken a commis chef job. If you are far away from home, or your family isn’t big on cooking, consider taking a few classes.
In many cities, chef-owned restaurants host educational nights that include a lesson where you cook your own meal.
You can also take lessons right at home via YouTube or other Internet resources. This is a great way to learn about hospitality for students.
Watch cooking shows and visit the blogs of the hosts. This is an easy way to both see a chef in action and to get the step-by-step instructions you need to copy the meal slowly. Cooking is something that can be easily picked up with a bit of practice.
Have you considered a gap year job in the hospitality industry to pick up some valuable life skills including basic cooking?
Start with something fairly simple, if you’ve never cooked a thing in your life. Scrambled eggs, baked chicken, or a quick protein-and-vegetable stir fry with a store-bought sauce are great meals to get comfortable using your stove.
As you get comfortable with these meals, you can start making more complex proteins like seafood or steak, and experiment with casseroles, pasta, and other cuisines and flavours.
A Note on Cooking Equipment
When you first start outfitting your kitchen, it can be tempting to buy every gadget or tool you see. This can become expensive, and in most cases, you don’t really need all of those things for an efficient kitchen. In fact, you can craft a world of dishes with just three simple tools.
The most important tools to have are a good, sharp chef’s knife, a frying pan, and a pot. That’s really it! With only these three things, in addition to your regular eating and serving ware, you can create tonnes of amazing meals.
As you advance, you’ll want to consider things like a quality blender, and a baking dish or a slow cooker to help you make even more.
