Analysis of Food and Beverage Sector and Professional Development

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the food and beverage sector within the hospitality industry, focusing on the role of a waiter. The report begins by defining career and its significance, followed by a description of the food and beverage sector and its key characteristics. It then explores the professional benefits of working as a waiter, including teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. The report identifies and discusses three key challenges faced by waiters, such as odd shift hours, managing diverse customers, and remembering large orders, along with practical plans to mitigate these challenges. Finally, the report outlines a professional development plan, detailing tasks, a schedule, milestones, and SMART goals, as well as target companies for future career development.

Running head: INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Introduction to Professional Practice
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Professional Benefits of Working in Food and Beverage Sector....................................................3
Challenges of Working in Food and Beverage Sector.....................................................................5
Professional Development Plan.......................................................................................................8
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
References......................................................................................................................................10

2INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Introduction
The report throws light in analyzing the food and beverage department in the entire
hospitality industry for the role of Waiter. The main aim and purpose is to understand the role of
career and professional benefits of working as waiter in the sector. The challenges and the
professional development plan needs to be analyzed which will be effective in improving the
effectiveness of the company in a suitable manner.
As commented by Archer and Yates (2017), from the occupational point of view, career
means the sum of the different jobs which the person holds in his or her entire lifetime. The
career provides proper experience as well as learning to fuel the future and it is effective for the
gaining various opportunities successfully. In addition, as opined by Dai and Song (2016), the
career success mainly depends on a particular individual as for some; the career success is
mainly measured by material and financial kind of accumulation. On the other hand, few people
base their success through recognition and rewards which have been received by them.
As described by Benckendorff (2004), the hospitality industry is one of the broad
categories of field within the entire service industry which includes sectors such as food and
beverage, lodging, event planning along with others. It falls under the service sector which is
capable of providing services to customers rather than just producing material related
commodities. In the respective assignment, the sector which has been considered is Food and
Beverage Department wherein the main involvement is related to the preparation of the fresh
and prepared food to the customers and serving them by maintaining proper etiquettes. The entry
level roles include food and beverage manager, waiters or waitresses along with hotel
receptionist or steward.

3INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Professional Benefits of Working in Food and Beverage Sector
The major expectations of working as waiter in the Food and Beverage Sector is that
there will be high scope of learning the different skills and techniques in handling the different
complaints of the customers in a suitable manner. Moreover, in the food and beverage sector,
there has been long standing tradition of quality of the service and dedication of putting their
customers first. Through the respective job, there will be capability of being high professional,
productive as well as responsive towards the needs of different customers.
While working in the food and beverage sector, the professional advantages which will
be gained by me while working includes the following:
Teamwork- It is the first and foremost aspect which will be learnt as it will be allowing
working with different team members and gain confidence to work in groups for the future
prospects. It will be promoting environment that fosters loyalty and gain effectiveness
(McKenzie 2011).
Good Communication- While working as waiter in the food and beverage sector, there
will be interactions with the customers and through the same, the communication can be
improved which will be efficient in managing the effectiveness of the communication skills.
Problem-Solving and Creativity- In the Food and beverage Sector, there can be different
problems arising regarding the complaints from customers or differences in opinions among the
subordinates. In such scenario, the creativity and proper problem-solving techniques are the
professional aspects which will be learnt as it will be helpful for improving the effectiveness of
the services and the performance (Richardson 2010).

4INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
The three entry level roles which are present in the respective sector that may be suiting
me are as follows:
Food and Beverage Service Supervisor
 Scheduling and Managing Employees Overseeing inventory which includes food and beverage and other supplies in restaurant
Kitchen Helper
 Assist Cook and Kitchen Staffs Removing and clearing the kitchen space effectively
Executive Chef
 Coordinating cook tasks Design of new recipes and examining cleanliness of equipment
The three entry level roles which might be suiting for me includes the following:
 Food and Beverage Supervisor- It is the first and foremost role as there is inclusion of
creativity and problem solving skills which will be effective in managing the respective
role successfully. Executive Chef- It is the other role wherein I will be compatible as they are responsible
for food which comes out of kitchen from conception to execution. Hotel Stewards and Helper- I am eligible for the respective role as well as I have the
capability in taking care of the dining establishment and it revolves around the customer
experience aspects.

5INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Challenges of Working in Food and Beverage Sector
There are different kinds of challenges faced by the waiters while working in the food
and beverage sector which includes the following:
Challenge 1- Working in the Odd Shift Hours
Outline the Challenge
Working in the different odd shift hours can be creating different problems for the waiters
which can be leading to obvious problems such as feeling of isolation, tiredness at work and it
impacts their effectiveness and productivity at work after a certain span of time. It impacts the
effectiveness of the hotel as well as customers complain regarding the behavior of the waiters
(Stacey 2015).
Evidence to Support Presence of Challenge 1
At Ritz, a waiter was being made work on a continuous basis for a week and it is the
training test for him whether he could manage the tasks which were given to him. It is the real
world examples of Ritz Hotel which can be helping in understand that employees are mainly
asked to work for odd shift hours in hotel industry for completing their tasks on time
(Harvardbusinessreview 2020).
Practical Plan to Cope with Challenge 1
In order to cope with such challenges, the candidates who prefer to work with hotel
industry needs to clarify their aspects and needs at the time of joining. It will be helpful for them
and the hotel management to take their final call on that basis as hotel industry requires 24*7

6INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
services, however, there can be inclusion of shift hours which can be incorporated for improving
their performance and the performance of employees.
Challenge 2- Managing the Different Kinds of Customers
Outline the Challenge
It is the other challenge for the waiters or waitresses working in the food and beverage
industry as there are few customers wherein there are people who do not tend to leave even after
the closing hours and managing them can be a challenge and risk for the hotel authorities
(Ruhanen, Mclennan and Moyle 2013). Moreover, there are other groups of people who enter the
hotel exactly before half an hour of closing the restaurant and they order when the restaurant is
going to close. In such scenarios, it becomes difficult for the staffs to manage such customers.
Evidence to Support Presence of Challenge 2
In the respective article, it can be seen that in the various Five Star Properties, there are
customers who have not been satisfied with the different services provided and moreover, there
are incidents wherein the hotel staffs were humiliated by the customers which needs to be
changed (Traveldilynews.com 2020).
Practical Plan to Cope with Challenge 2
When the different hotel staffs face such situations in their workplace, the main and
foremost aspect which needs to be managed by them is to inform their top officials for making
them feel that they are able to handle such customers in a humble manner.
Challenge 3- Remembering Large Orders

7INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Outline the Challenge
It is the other challenge wherein there are large groups of people entering in the
restaurant and they place orders as per their convenience and at times, it becomes hard to
memorize and remember all the items which have been ordered by them (Ruhanen and Shakeela
2013).
Evidence to Support Presence of Challenge 3
In the article in Atlanta, it has been seen and analyzed that the waitresses were frustrated
while doing the similar and tiring work and it impacted their productivity. Due to the same, the
higher officials did not take any proper steps in making them feel better and maintain their
productivity (ProductivityCommision.gov,au 2020).
Practical Plan to Cope with Challenge 3
In such situations, the main aspect which is needs to be maintained is that the higher
officials need to provide rewards and recognition to the different subordinates which will be
making them feel that they are highly valued and they will be capable of making the best and
possible outcomes of the tasks.
Professional Development Plan
Tasks to be completed
 Taking proper orders from customers and making the satisfied
 Making the proper recommendations in menu along with sharing additional information
with the patrons of the restaurant

8INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
 Providing the excellent wait service for ensuring satisfaction through proper training and
development opportunities
A schedule to which the tasks should be carried out
 Development of the management skills Advanced training and development along with communication training Recording the orders from customers through on the job training aspect and relay them to
the kitchen staff members Establishment of the professional relationship with the different staff members
Milestones
 Proper leadership skills and traits need to be implemented for achieving the effectiveness
in the delivery of services within two months
 Focusing on the clarity and thoroughness in communication to give my best and achieve
the best for the company within six months
SMART Goals
 To improve my performance in next six months by 50% through utilizing the required
training and the on-the job training aspects
 To take up the crash course for improving my knowledge in the areas such as dealing
with customers and making them feel satisfied
Target Companies
 Park Hyatt Sydney
 Four Seasons Sydney

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Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded that in the respective report, the different professional
opportunities and challenges while working as a waiter in the food and beverage industry. It has
been noticed that the professional development plan is the other aspect which will be effective in
gaining competitive advantage and improving their performance in the market in a suitable
manner in the near future as well.

10INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
References
Archer, S. and Yates, J., 2017. Understanding potential career changers’ experience of career
confidence following a positive psychology based coaching programme. Coaching: An
International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 10(2), pp.157-175.
Benckendorff, P., 2004. Forces shaping the future of Australian tourist attractions: Trends and
challenges leading up to 2020.
Dai, L. and Song, F., 2016. Subjective career success: A literature review and prospect. Journal
of Human Resource and Sustainability Studies, 4(3), pp.238-242.
Hospitalitynet.org 2020 What to Expect in 2020 for Tourism and Hospitality (Online) Retrieved
from https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4096291.html [Accessed on 9th April 2020]
Hotelnewsnow.com 2020 The changes experts think hoteliers should make in 2020 (Online)
Retrieved from http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles/299589/The-changes-experts-think-
hoteliers-should-make-in-2020 [Accessed on 9th April 2020]
McKenzie, F.H., 2011. Attracting and retaining skilled and professional staff in remote locations
of Australia. The Rangeland Journal, 33(4), pp.353-363.
ProductivityCommision.gov,au 2020 • Productivity Commission Research Report on
International Tourism in Australia 2015 (Online) Retrieved from
https://www.pc.gov.au/research/completed/international-tourism/international-tourism.pdf
[Accessed on 9th April 2020]

11INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
Richardson, S., 2010. Generation Y's perceptions and attitudes towards a career in tourism and
hospitality. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 9(2), pp.179-199.
Ruhanen, L. and Shakeela, A., 2013. Responding to climate change: Australian tourism industry
perspectives on current challenges and future directions. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism
Research, 18(1-2), pp.35-51.
Ruhanen, L.M., Mclennan, C.L.J. and Moyle, B.D., 2013. Strategic issues in the Australian
tourism industry: A 10-year analysis of national strategies and plans. Asia Pacific Journal of
Tourism Research, 18(3), pp.220-240.
Stacey, J., 2015. Supporting quality jobs in tourism.
Traveldilynews.com 2020 Customer Loyalty, the challenge f hotel industry for 2020 (Online)
Retrieved from https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/customer-loyalty-the-challenge-of-the-
hotel-industry-for-2020 [Accessed on 9th April 2020]
Harvardbusinessreview 2020 My week as a room service waiter at the Ritz (online) Retrieved
from https://hbr.org/2002/06/my-week-as-a-room-service-waiter-at-the-ritz [Accessed on 9th
April 2020]