Job Hunting It's Who You Know

Looking for a job? Your education and everything nicely typed in that piece of paper called a C.V. might not help you. What do you mean? Because of the industry.

Any industry has godmothers and godfathers. The hospitality industry for example. That tight circle knows which hotel manager is relocating and it decides who should take over. All this is discussed over coffee, before dinner drinks, suppliers’ meetings, industry seminars etc. Of course, they’ll advertise the job because of government regulations.

Therefore your chances of getting the job because of your Hotel Management course from the local polytechnic are slim. Education can be a farce because most industry insiders did not go to college. They knew somebody who knew somebody. It’s 2023, but it still happens. I bumped into a former colleague last week. She said somebody called her to fill a position. ‘But they have a manager there,’ I said. She said they wanted to get rid of her. That’s right. That’s how it is in the workplace, throw people out like garbage.

You don’t have connections like her, so how are you going to get a job? You are going to think outside the box, shift to second gear if you must. Back to that Hotel Management course we mentioned above. You’ll get a low paying job in a hotel, one way or the other. If there’s any justice in this world, you should be hired as a trainee manager. You won’t, so take that receptionist position they offer you.

Hotels are about people, so you will meet people as they check in and check out. Some guests might ask you why you work there. One thing leads to another, and you get a lucrative job offer as the I.T. manager in a new hotel, in the next state or province.

If you decide that despite everything, you still like the hotel industry, you stay, smile, work your way up and become part of the inner circle.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.