So you took the plunge of walking away from the office and cutting ties with a regular work schedule to live by your own rules. It is no doubt liberating but a little unnerving at the same time. Do you have what it takes to be your own person and stick with it, even if it gets rough? Do you have what it takes to be a casual worker within hospitality?
We hope that you answered with a “yes” as many have found their way in the world following a less conventional working model. Everyone has different reasons coupled with any number of obligations. However, it is important to follow a few basic rules to be an effective casual worker within hospitality.
Try to keep a schedule
It is very easy to sleep in a little later and procrastinate in completing tasks. The key is maintaining a regular schedule to the best of your ability. Go to bed at a reasonable time and wake up with a set of goals to accomplish.
Look for additional opportunities
Since casual work and temporary jobs are finite as the names suggest, lining up new work to fill gaps is important for staying on top of financial obligations. Keep a budget and save up for any lapses in employment. Registering with a hospitality recruitment agency will ensure regular and ongoing opportunities to keep you busy.
Deliver what you promise, when you promise
Avoid taking on too many tasks to avoid failing to meet critical deadlines or double booking yourself. Make sure to stick with your commitments or else you will risk losing rapport with clients or your agency.
Track you time
When you are working, keep track of time. For example, if you work for a set pay and drag your feet, this affects your productivity and ultimately, an underlying hourly rate. It feels good reflecting on a high pay-to-hour ratio, which should inspire you to work as hard in the future.
Communicate with others
Conversation and engagement with other is important, as long as it does not heavily detract from the task at hand. You may find you regularly work alongside the same people on a frequent basis – it never hurts to develop friendly professional relationships and broaden your network but always stay professional.
Develop new skills
With a more flexible schedule, you have the time to develop new skills. Take some time every day to learn something new as a broad range of skills within hospitality will always stand you in good stead. Always look for opportunities to better yourself and add to your experience. This learning will also keep you focussed and motivated to progress and develop further.