Ever Considered a Housekeeping Job?
If a drudge in an apron on his hands and knees cleaning up god-knows-what is your idea of housekeeping, you need to brush up your ideas (pun intended). No job is too big or too small. You have to keep trying to succeed and never know where you may find inspiration. Housekeeping has had a bad reputation, but these days it can be a solid career decision and an entry point to great development. Here’s why:
Luxury brand employers
Luxury hotels need the best housekeeping staff. They are built on customer service and going the extra, and if you share that attitude, you’ll do well. Luxury brand hotels often offer great development opportunities and other benefits can include free meals, pension contributions, laundry of your uniform, volunteer days and staff discounts. A luxury brand on your CV won’t do you any harm, either. Good brands offer a sense of teamwork and community because they know that happy staff equals great service. And you may even catch a glimpse of a celebrity or two! (Discretion advised, of course).
Flexibility
Everyone needs a side hustle. If you’re working on your next album, creating your own business or writing the next bestseller, housekeeping work offers flexibility. Early starts, late nights or shift work might suit the lark or night owl in you and bring in some much needed income while avoiding that global waste of time – rush hour.
Getting physical
Housekeeping is nothing if not physically active. You won’t be sprinting, but there’s a lot to do. You’ll have your quota of areas to clean and you might be using heavy machinery like floor polishers. Put on your Fitbit and get stepping! If you hate rotting behind a desk then housekeeping just might be for you.
Learn
Housekeeping is skilled work. Yes, in the hotel industry you might learn to fold towels into pretty swan shapes and make beds just so, but you’ll also learn about hazardous chemicals, how to avoid slips, trips and falls, how to lift things properly and how to keep your customers safe. Housekeeping is a job that has safety and comfort at its core. It commands respect.
Variety
Housekeeping isn’t just about making beds. You might be a room attendant, being responsible for the perfect presentation of guest rooms, executive suites, meeting rooms and breakout areas. You might be on call to help the events team. And of course there are plenty of housekeeping jobs with private families. Land a job as a live-in housekeeper for a nice family and it’ll be a literal home away from home, great if you’re new to the country as you’ll have somewhere to live and improve your language skills, too!
What to look for in a housekeeping role:
- Check that the details reflect what you want in terms of working hours, salary and location.
- Does your interviewer treat you with respect and politeness?
- Ask the right questions. Try these:
- What does a typical day look like?
- How do people develop in this job?
- Is this role new or replacing someone? Why did they leave?
- What’s the best/worst thing about working here?
- How do you measure success?
Is housekeeping the way forward for you? Why not check out some housekeeping jobs on the JOB TODAY app?
