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Work your way into the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector with work experience

Work experience is the best way to make your application for a graduate job in hospitality, leisure or tourism stand out. Make it work for you, and it may even lead to a graduate job offer.

Make a good impression and it could lead to a graduate job

Once you’ve found a part-time job or placement, make the most of it. ‘Do some research before you start,’ advises Emma Wassef, recruitment manager at Tragus Holdings Ltd. ‘Once you’re there, make sure you show interest in the role and ask questions about it. Try to put those answers into practice if you can – and, above all, show initiative.’

‘Take the opportunity to chat to your fellow workers about their jobs – how did they get into them and do they enjoy them? Don’t be afraid to ask if you can speak to more senior figures too – many will be more than happy to spend ten minutes telling you about their background and answering questions.’

‘When you’re at work, make sure you keep a record of what you’ve done and the things you’ve learned – using examples of the experiences you’ve had always impresses at job interviews. Above all, make sure you are polite, reliable and hard-working.’

‘You’ll obviously want a good reference but you may also find that you’re offered more responsibility, the chance to work in a different part of the business, or even a permanent position or sponsorship for your degree.'

Work experience can confirm your graduate career ideas

Work experience will give you a real insight not only into the role but also into the company and industry.

Work experience can be a vital part of your own decision-making process and is not just about impressing recruiters. If you’re not quite sure what career you’d like to follow it’s a useful way of sampling several options without committing.

‘Deciding on the type of industry you’d like to work in can be a tough decision’, says Emma. ‘Work experience will give you a real insight not only into the role but also into the company and industry. If you’ve done your research beforehand, it will be much easier to make the right decision when a job offer comes your way.’

Even if you’re fairly sure what you’d like to do it’s wise to confirm these ideas and start getting a feel for where you’d prefer to work.

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