It was a long road from his first job working at a Central Valley hotdog stand to becoming the owner of the most elegant restaurant in Modesto, but Jeff Morey is obviously glad he stuck with the industry.
"I was studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and decided to change majors," he recalls. "The trumpet wasn't for me, so I began a career in the food industry."
His restaurant, Hazel's, also is a training ground for graduates of the San Francisco-based California Culinary Academy. Those who live in the area have an opportunity to work in the restaurant and prepare for a career.
"I'm pretty proud of that facet of the business," Morey volunteers with obvious pride. "They get on-the-job training for the real world plus studying different areas of cooking. It's a golden opportunity to learn."
He concedes ordering up a job in the food industry is difficult because it's a Catch-22 - you need a job to get experience, but the majority of jobs require experience. Being a restaurant novice does have its advantages because there are no bad habits to unlearn.
For jobseekers hungry for a career in the food industry, he has a few tips: "You have to have positive attitude, an open mind and be willing to learn anything new," Morey recommends. "And above all, your morals and your values need to be very strong."
The City Bounces Back
With corporate travel and convention business picking up, the hotels also are benefiting from an increase in international tourism, spurred in part by the weak US dollar.
"Last year we had an overall hotel occupancy rate of 73.2 percent, compared with 68.1 percent in 2003," reports Laurie Armstrong, vice president of public relations with the San Francisco Convention
and Visitors Bureau. "That says tourism is coming back and that translates into hospitality industry jobs."
In another optimistic sign of recovery - more restaurants are opening their doors this year compared with 2002, a year when the total number of SF eateries actually declined.
Doors also are opening in the job sector. "One of the things the hospitality industry offers is employment on every level," Armstrong declares. "Whether someone just made the brave move from another country, with perhaps little education or with a lot of education and degrees crossing over from another industry, all of these folks have opportunities in tourism. Young or old, part time or full time, it needs everyone."
Hospitality jobs have also been a springboard for launching individual career dreams, like opening a bistro or a bed and breakfast.
Armstrong recalls a recent success story - a local guy who had a job as a stand-up comedian, and a secret love of San Francisco history. "He started doing walking tours that were hysterical and offered a lot of fascinating history. Now his company has grown and all the employees also are comedians."
Most people think of tourism as an industry of huge companies, but it's actually made up of small businesses. For example, only 19 percent of the members of the Convention and Visitors Bureau are large hotels. The majority are small restaurants, tour companies, entertainment attractions and retailers.
"The hottest niche in the industry right now is anything connected with the international visitor," according to Armstrong. "The strong euro is bringing international visitors back, and San Francisco is on sale. Any kind of language skills, from European to Asian, is helpful and attractive."
Management skills and the ability to make things happen can also get you in the door of the hospitality industry. If you have experience in running a department store, you might be able to run a hotel or a restaurant.
"Tourism is on a one-to-one basis right now," Armstrong emphasizes. "People save their money all year to travel, and every day is the moment of truth. A hospitality professional has to be able to deliver every time."
Travel Experts
Changing airfares and schedules, visa requirements, hotel ratings and a large number of vacation packages make travel planning difficult and time consuming. Consequently, travelers often turn to travel agents for assistance.
Joyce Carlson of San Carlos has been a travel agent for 25 years and works as an outside agent for a travel agency on the Peninsula. "I was a legal secretary and always felt like I could sell ice to the Eskimos," she jokes. "I knew sales was my calling. I had a friend who was a travel agent who introduced me to the owner of the agency who hired me on a commission basis."
An airline ticket to Los Angeles was her first sale and from there her business really took off. Armed with business cards, she handed them out everywhere. When she made a purchase at a store, a sales receipt was exchanged for her business card.
"The future of the industry is the niche market," Carlson believes. "The gay market is huge and many ship lines are putting together cruises that cater to that sector. 'Big Band' and 'Clean and Sober' cruises are another example." She emphasizes that the industry offers opportunities for people of all ages.
The Internet has made a dent in the travel agent's cut, but savvy agents are turning that to their advantage by advertising online.
So how does Carlson suggest getting started in this exciting industry? "I advise people interested in travel to take courses at a local community college. Ca¤ada College in Redwood City has an excellent program, or you could go to your travel agent and ask if you could 'volunteer' at the agency, filing brochures in exchange for learning the business."
