Career Opportunities in the Australian Hospitality Industry

Career opportunities in the Australian Hospitality Industry 1
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE AUSTRALIAN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
By (Name)
Course
Professor’s name
University name
City, State
Date of submission

Career opportunities in the Australian Hospitality Industry 2
Executive summary
The report below discusses the various career paths available for a graduate seeking a job
as a chef in the Australian hospitality industry. The essay begins with an introduction which
provides a brief description of a chef’s journey. Thereafter is a description of my career
expectations and plans after graduation. The description begins with me securing employment as
a commis chef after which I ultimately advance to the role of food and beverage director. The
essay then goes on to provide a critical analysis of the similarities between my career
expectations and the facts from relevant literature. Additionally, the report explores the smart
goal theory and its use in setting achievable career goals before concluding with a brief summary
of the opinions expressed.

Career opportunities in the Australian Hospitality Industry 3
Introduction
A career refers to a sequence of various work-related positions, roles, activities, and roles
that a person engages in the course of their life (Nyhan, 2011). A career is therefore dynamic and
unpredictable (Sturges, Guest, Conway & Davey, 2002).The hospitality industry offers numerous
career paths for qualified professionals since it mainly relies on practical skills rather theoretical
knowledge (Bridgstock, 2009). It is, therefore, possible for one to easily pursue a career in
various fields provided they have the required skills. For instance, it is possible for one to make a
transition from kitchen duties to management. Equally important, vertical career growth as a chef
does not require additional educational courses thus making it possible for even the least
regarded member of the kitchen to rise up the ranks.
My career
Upon graduation, I envision myself acquiring more culinary skills as a commis chef in a
top Australian restaurant. In this position, I will have the opportunity to interact with and learn
from senior chefs by observing, listening to instruction and putting them to practice. As a
commis chef, I will be able to enhance my creativity by borrowing ideas from the other chefs.
Additionally, I will acquire knowledge on the various kitchen operations and responses to the
different situations in the kitchen. After a period of one year, I will have acquired the necessary
skills and knowledge to move up the ladder and become a chef de partie. This position will
involve specializing and gaining expert knowledge on various dishes.
Upon acquiring adequate skills regarding all dishes, I will be qualified to hold the
position of sous chef whose work is to supervise, the junior chefs as well as deputize the head
chef. At this point, I will have built my reputation as a top chef and hopefully will be able to
practice my profession in multiple restaurants. This position will also give me the chance to

Career opportunities in the Australian Hospitality Industry 4
improve my leadership skills while at the same time putting my culinary skills to use. After
showing my worth at this stage, I will hopefully ascend to the position of executive chef where I
will be tasked with responsibilities such as supervising the entire kitchen staff as well as hiring
and training aspiring chefs. As the head chef, I will have the opportunity to further improve my
leadership, problem-solving and organizational skills with a view of branching into management.
I will now be highly experienced and therefore qualified to assume the position of food and
beverage director which is my long-term dream.
Similarities with literature
My descriptions just like in relevant literature, views career as a pattern of work-related
positions, experiences, activities, and roles that one encounters in the course of their life. In the
above description, one is able to observe a sequence of positions beginning from commis chef
and culminating in food and beverages director. Additionally from the above description, one
can observe that there exist both objective and subjective elements of work-related experiences.
For instance, the description relates objective elements such as job positions and activities with
subjective interpretations such as expectations, needs, and feelings. For instance, the attainment
of the position of food and beverage director is associated with the feeling of achievement.
Similarly, promotion to a higher position is viewed as an opportunity to learn and acquire new
skills as well as help others.
The description further implies a similar definition of career management as that in the
class literature. From my career vision, we can see a clear personal goal which is to become a