Hotel Reception

Where do you go next?

Depending on the type of hotel you would like to work in and your previous knowledge and experience, there are a number of routes available.

If, for instance, you already have secretarial experience and would like to work in a smaller hotel, it may be possible to find an opening without further qualifications.  A number of hotels may be happy to employ you as a junior or trainee receptionist where you can gain experience and learn all aspects of the job as you work.  If, however, you wish to work in a larger chain and aspire to junior management roles in the future, it would probably be better to gain more qualifications now.

Before you decide, do some research!

Contact local hotels to find out what qualifications and experience they require their receptionists to have.  You can also contact the personnel departments of large hotel chains to find out what they require.  Some larger chains may have their own training schemes and not require vocational qualifications or any prior experience.  

Look in the situations vacant columns in newspapers, if there are jobs that you are interested in phone for further details or ask for a job description to be sent to you.

You can also contact your local college or adult education service to find out what other courses are on offer.

Whatever you decide, do persevere.  If hotel reception is the career for you there are many ways of entering the hotel trade.
 
Look at the other pages in this section to find out more about the hotel industry, qualifications and further training.