Porter
What They Do
Greet and accompany guests to the reception desk or to their room, carry luggage and deal with guests’ enquiries about hotel services, entertainment and travel timetables. May also call taxis, park guests’ cars and assist with room service.
Where they work:
Hotels
Special requirements:
Requires a neat appearance and courteous manner. Knowledge of a second language is an advantage.
Career Paths:
Job entry is by application direct to the hotel or through advertisements placed in newspapers. It is possible to advance to Head Porter and then into management positions within the hotel.
Future Prospects:
Places limited depending on the number of establishments.
Training:
No educational requirements, however, to reach management levels you will need further training in management subjects to enhance career prospects if aiming at the highest executive positions.
For further information on training courses contact the WA Hospitality and Tourism Industry Training Council for an AHRP/ATTRP Training Provider Directory.
Conditions of Employment:
Long periods of standing. Uniforms supplied by hotel.
Shift work required including weekend work, work at night and on public holidays.
Concierge
What They Do
Assist arriving guests with luggage and parking. Also provide information regarding the hotel’s facilities, sightseeing, shopping and current shows.
Where they work:
Hotels
Special requirements:
Able to find answers to a large range of questions from guests. Knowledge of local area (e.g. landmarks, transport, etc) would be beneficial.
Career Paths:
Members of the International Union of Concierges wear the Clefs d'Or or "Golden Keys" which are awarded to individuals who supervise the Concierge desk and demonstrate the professionalism that the position demands. Services department staff report to the Front Office Manager.
Training:
No educational requirements, however, to reach management levels you will need further training in management subjects to enhance career prospects if aiming at the highest executive positions.
For further information on training courses contact the WA Hospitality and Tourism Industry Training Council for an AHRP/ATTRP Training Provider Directory.
Cook
What They Do
Prepare food. Including food ordering, preparation, cooking and presentation and cleaning up. Chefs are more experienced cooks who supervise all work in the kitchens, plan menus and often specialise in a particular type of dish. It is possible to progress from cook to chef and then into catering management.
Special requirements:
Good health, no skin allergies and high standards of personal hygiene (essential). Reasonable physical fitness is needed for standing for long times and lifting heavy weights.
Future Prospects:
Changes in eating habits have led to rapid increases in the numbers of food outlets resulting in an explosion in the number of positions available for cooks and chefs. As leisure time and disposable incomes grow, and as more women enter the workforce, demand for prepared food continues to rise. May work in restaurants, motels, cafeterias, institutional catering in homes for the aged, in hospitals, in jails and in industrial canteens. The number of positions for breakfast cooks and food preparation assistants in restaurants and coffee shops has also risen rapidly. May work in their own private catering business.
Training:
Job entry is by Apprenticeship with further study available at TAFE colleges or similar. To be a chef, you need to complete an apprenticeship and obtain a certificate in Commercial Cookery (Trade). Positions include a commis chef - a cook who has just completed an apprenticeship, a sous chef-a second in charge, and a chef de cuisine - the head chef or first chef. Individuals with talent and flair often reach high standards in their food preparation and presentation skills, and develop reputations that ensure the success of their establishments. Further training at supervisory and management level in accounting, law and other management subjects enhance career prospects for those aiming at the highest executive positions.
Conditions of Employment:
Long hours, split shifts, weekend work and work at night and on public holidays. Opportunity for creative freedom. Free food and drink in most establishments to travel opportunities and free accommodation. High stress levels from working in hot and pressured environments. Can lead to an executive position or the possibility of running one’s own.
Front Office Receptionist
What They Do
Hotel/Motel front office clerks attend to the needs of guests on arrival and during their stay in the hotel or motel.
Receive reservations for accommodation from clients either in person or by telephone, facsimile machine or email;
Take guests' details as they arrive and allocate them a room;
Liaise with transport carriers (e.g. airlines, bus companies, rental car agencies) to make travel
arrangements for guests and to find lost luggage;
Inform guests about the hotel/motel's facilities, policies and procedures;
Provide tourist information to guests; make reservations for sight-seeing tours, restaurants, the cinema and live entertainment;
Deal with inquiries and requests from guests;
Accurately take messages for guests;
Calculate guests' bills and issue receipts upon payment;
Arrange accommodation for guests travelling to other destinations;
Perform cashier duties, cash travellers' cheques and exchange foreign currency;
Coordinate the cleaning of guests' personal laundry and room service deliveries;
Follow in-house procedures to help ensure the security of guests and employees;
Perform general secretarial duties such as preparing correspondence and attend to a switchboard.
In a small or medium-sized hotel all of the above duties may be carried out by one person. However, in an international standard hotel several clerks may be employed. Each clerk is allocated a set of specific duties to perform (e.g. one may attend to guest reception, another may be responsible for the switchboard while another works as an information officer).
Special requirements:
Friendly, helpful and patient;
Able to assist guests with a limited understanding of English;
Good communication skills;
Able to record information accurately;
Able to work as part of a team;
Able to project a professional manner at all times;
Good interpersonal skills;
Flexibility;
Able to maintain control and composure in difficult situations.
Training:
A relevant qualification in Hospitality(Front Office and Housekeeping) is an advantage to gaining work in the industry.
Conditions of Employment:
Hotel/motel front office clerks work shifts including evenings, weekends and public holidays.
Waiter
What They Do
Waiters serve food and drinks to guests in hotels, restaurants, clubs and similar establishments.
Waiters may perform the following tasks:
Set tables with clean linen or place mats, cutlery, crockery and glasses;
Welcome and seat customers and hand menus to them;
Advise guests on menu and beverage items
Act as a spokesperson for local produce and attractions to visitors from interstate and overseas;
Take customers' orders and pass them to kitchen staff or bar attendants;
Serve food;
Carve meat and prepare and serve flambe dishes;
Make up bills and present them to customers;
Handle money or credit cards;
Take restaurant reservations;
Clear tables and return dishes and cutlery to kitchens; and
Serve drinks.
Special requirements:
Good presentation;
Good communication skills;
Good memory;
Polite and patient;
Friendly, efficient and speedy;
Enjoy working with people;
Able to work as part of a team;
Prepared to work weekends and evenings;
Able to handle money stamina.
Training:
Possible to work in the position without qualifications, as some restaurants conduct training on the job. However, to pursue a career, a qualification in Hospitality (Food and Beverage) is a good background, in combination with work experience.
Conditions of Employment:
Waiters often work split shifts in the evenings, weekends and public holidays. They spend long periods on their feet and may have to deal with difficult customers. Uniforms may be supplied by employers. Waiters must be a minimum age of 18 years to serve alcohol. Head waiters or Maitre'd are experienced waiters who supervise the work of other waiters and assist in the administration of the restaurant.
Work can be seasonal, casual, part or full time, though good, experienced workers are well regarded.
Gaming Attendant
What They Do
Control games of chance in casinos (eg baccarat, blackjack, and American roulette). Operates any equipment involved, sets up games tables, collects losing bets, pays out winning bets and announces the winning numbers.
Where they work:
Casinos.
Special requirements:
Manual dexterity, a pleasant, confident manner, a clear speaking voice for announcing numbers and the ability to make quick money calculations.
Future Prospects:
As the number of casinos in Australia increases, employment opportunities for croupiers will also increase, but many jobs are filled by experienced croupiers from overseas.
Training:
Training is usually provided by the employer.
Conditions of Employment:
The minimum age to make for croupiers is 18. People working in the gaming areas must be licensed, and be of good character and reputation. Long periods of standing up, shiftwork, weekend work and work at night and on public holidays.
Bar Attendant
What They Do
Prepare and serve drinks to customers, wash glasses (by hand or by machine) and maintaining the bar area in a clean and attractive condition.
Where they work:
Hotels, restaurants and clubs.
Special requirements:
They must know the correct proportions for mixed drinks and the appropriate glasses to use for different kinds of drinks and the appropriate glasses to use for different kinds of drinks. They may also be called upon to mix cocktails for customers.
You need to be friendly and efficient, have a good memory and able to make fast money calculations.
Training:
Most duties are learned on the job but there are a number of short TAFE and private college courses available to people employed as bar attendants.
For further information on training courses contact the WA Hospitality and Tourism Industry Training Council for an AHRP/ATTRP Training Provider Directory.
Conditions of Employment:
Shift work, weekend and night work. May be casual, part time or full time and seasonal work. Long periods of time standing up. May be necessary to lift heavy items. Bar attendants must be at least 18 years of age, and some employers give preference to people over 21.
Chef
What They Do
Prepare food. Including food ordering, preparation, cooking and presentation and cleaning up. Chefs are more experienced cooks who supervise all work in the kitchens, plan menus and often specialise in a particular type of dish. It is possible to progress from cook to chef and then into catering management.
Special requirements:
Good health, no skin allergies and high standards of personal hygiene (essential). Reasonable physical fitness is needed for standing for long times and lifting heavy weights.
Future Prospects:
Changes in eating habits have led to rapid increases in the numbers of food outlets resulting in an explosion in the number of positions available for cooks and chefs. As leisure time and disposable incomes grow, and as more women enter the workforce, demand for prepared food continues to rise. May work in restaurants, motels, cafeterias, institutional catering in homes for the aged, in hospitals, in jails and in industrial canteens. The number of positions for breakfast cooks and food preparation assistants in restaurants and coffee shops has also risen rapidly. May work in their own private catering business.
Training:
Job entry is by Apprenticeship with further study available at TAFE colleges or similar. To be a chef, you need to complete an apprenticeship and obtain a certificate in Commercial Cookery (Trade). Positions include a commis chef - a cook who has just completed an apprenticeship, a sous chef-a second in charge, and a chef de cuisine - the head chef or first chef. Individuals with talent and flair often reach high standards in their food preparation and presentation skills, and develop reputations that ensure the success of their establishments. Further training at supervisory and management level in accounting, law and other management subjects enhance career prospects for those aiming at the highest executive positions.
Conditions of Employment:
Long hours, split shifts, weekend work and work at night and on public holidays. Opportunity for creative freedom. Free food and drink in most establishments to travel opportunities and free accommodation. High stress levels from working in hot and pressured environments. Can lead to an executive position or the possibility of running one’s own.
For further information on training courses contact the WA Hospitality and Tourism Industry Training Council for an AHRP/ATTRP Training Provider Directory.