In the good old days before the digital age, self-promotion was as rare as a quiet night in Vegas. A person’sperson’s career trajectory is determined solely by job performance, work history, and good old-fashioned word of mouth. Personal recommendations held equal weight in the game of career advancement. But times have changed, my friends.
The last 15 years have significantly shifted how we navigate the job market. A killer resume or CV is essential but no guarantor for an interview, as some resume writers promise you. And while preparing answers for an interview is as necessary, the answers of yesterday or today will only sometimes be the correct answers tomorrow when you will be interviewed and screened by artificial intelligence (A.I.). Yes, my friend, it’s happening already, and I am sure you are not ready for them yet.
So, how do professional hoteliers promote themselves to ensure that recruiters come knocking on your door?
I have compiled a list of 6 proven strategies to help you achieve a continuous flow of potential job inquiries over time. These strategies are no quick fixes, but they form a solid foundation if you can turn them into regular habits and fine-tune them.
A. BE A TOP PERFORMER
If you want to make it in the working world, and who doesn’t, you need to be a “”Solid Performer.”” It is more than just doing your job. You’veYou’ve got to be the Best. Better than your colleagues. Think of it like a competition because that’s precisely what it is. You’reYou’re up against other people who want the same things you do, and only the best will come out on top.
So, what do you need to do to be a top performer? First, you need to know what exactly is expected from you. Reading the job description is not enough. You need to know your superior’s expectations and the company you are working with. And here is the first variable because you often think you are doing very well but are not appreciated for some reason. So it is crucial to communicate the expectations and results bipartisan. The rest of the answer is simple: work hard and be the best at what you do. Keep track of your weaker areas and work to overcome them. There is time involved. Those who expect miracles in only a year will be disappointed, especially if you joined the company just a year earlier or even less. Two years is the minimum in 90% of all cases.
You need to put in the effort and be patient. Often, not being patient can ruin an otherwise good development. You need to observe and analyze your environment, co-workers, your superior and his superior, their relationship, and how you fit in. These are all part of a hotel company’s ecosystem that you must navigate strategically and intelligently.
Most companies have objective and high-quality performance reviews. But even this system has flaws that can vary greatly. Frequently interpersonal issues get in their way. Therefore, you must excel not only in the skills area but also in the soft skills and relationship environment. You need to observe this carefully and seek constant positive exchange with peers and supervisors.
Suppose the results of your performance review are different from what you expected. In that case, you need to have a constructive conversation with your superior, eventually including the H.R. manager, even the hotel manager. While in North America and most European countries, there are solid systems in place, it is not equally the case in many Asian and African countries and the MENA region. Please remember what I wrote earlier. It is a competition, and you are in the middle of it.
In this blog post, I recommend you keep going and wait for the next turn. The risk of becoming a job hopper is just too high.
You need to stay in a job for at least 2 full years, including reviews. If your performance is good, time will work for you, and it will be noticed. Understand the psychology of those around you and those on top of you. Only sometimes, everything goes right.
Being a top performer is a matter of more than one year. I have cases where some of my clients face this kind of challenge. My purpose is to advise and help them work on a solution. However, giving up and finding another job generally differs from my advice. And if you have a mentor, discuss the issue of performance and your view of it with them.
B. Intelligent Usage of Social Media.
As a hotelier, you’ve got to know how to promote yourself on social media. Most importantly, you’ve got to be careful not to spread yourself too thin across the different platforms. For your professional development, I find LinkedIn to be the platform of choice. It covers 100% of your career requirements. Facebook is a blur of personal and semi-professional information and has little weight on your career development, rather the opposite. Twitter is like a lot of shouting into the void and a huge source of misinformation. And as for Instagram, sure, it’s great for photos, but it doesn’t generate any solid leads for young hoteliers.
That’sThat’s why you should focus your energy on LinkedIn. It is the platform where professional networking happens, and it’s relatively easy to build a solid network over time. Building your personal brand image and standing out will take time. You must put in the effort to create content and stay active on the platform to attract job offers or inquiries in real life. There are countless online seminars to learn. Those free on YouTube will ultimately lead you to a course, and you will be asked to pay for it. There are some good to excellent methods in the area of $200.00 to 300.00, but the information is also available directly on LinkedIn. At the end of the day, it is time. You need to invest. Please do yourself a favor and measure your daily time on the different platforms. Do it for one week, and then consider reading a good professional book instead. Those you should read more than just once are on my website.
C. Travel Fares
One foundational element of networking is rooted in attending travel trade fairs. You will be able to identify and establish first-rate connections and build the foundation for a robust and enduring network of hotel industry pros. You’llYou’ll witness many hotel companies and some of the best recruitment firms attending travel fares for the same reason you do. You may even encounter a company whose brand identity resonates with you personally.
International travel fairs that take the cake are the WTM in London, the IMEX in Las Vegas, the ATM in Dubai, and the ITB in Berlin. You will be rubbing shoulders with the bigwigs of top hotel companies. Regional trade fairs also exist in most countries, although they may only be attended by some of the top brass. It could be a game-changer for your career if you can make it to one of these. (It was for me)!
The global top travel fairs are a treasure trove for young career-minded hoteliers and those who are well advanced in their careers. The professionals I’veI’ve met over the years possess a wealth of generational knowledge and global connections that are updated frequently. So, when you meet them for the first time, you must leave a lasting impression, personally and professionally.
You need to follow a particular, unwritten code of conduct to ensure that you’ll be remembered. At travel fares, you are in the driver’sdriver’s seat. You are the one evaluating companies, one you will be working for one day. You are ready to interact and do your research. So, preparation is essential. Your first visit is your first step into the international hotel business. It can be intimidating at first, and going with someone who has already been there will be helpful. A colleague or even your superior.
To find out where the many travel fares take place, there are numerous online directories with details on when and where the fares occur. I randomly picked two of them, but there are many more.
https://tradefest.io/en/tag/leisure-travel-and-tourism
https://www.cantonfair.net/tag/1717-hospitality
Your annual attendance of a travel fare of your choice will significantly establish your presence in the market and provide you with certain advantages. It will also distinguish you as a career-minded individual if you execute it properly. Travel fares widen your horizon and offer opportunities you do not get frequently.
D. Personal Website
I have written a previous blog on the subject and provided sufficient information on why you should invest and your own website. Most hoteliers I know consider it enough to have their profile on LinkedIn. This is true only to a certain extent and depends on your ambitions. However, having a website besides LinkedIn will provide several advantages to promote your career and build your “”Personal Brand”” over time.
a. Your website will give you much more control over your online presence. It allows you to introduce yourself to a potential recruiter or another hotelier in your personal style. Something which You cannot do on LinkedIn.
b. You can have your resume and CV, educational credentials, and biography available in downloadable format for those interested.
c. Your website gives you greater flexibility in presenting yourself to a broader audience, especially recruiters. You can add multimedia, such as photos or videos. You can have a video resume introducing yourself and gain a substantial advantage over any controlled application process.
d. You can begin to add specific content, making you an expert in your expertise over time.
e. You have better search engine visibility: Optimizing your website for search engines can increase your visibility to potential employers searching for particular skills and expertise online.
f. You can begin a blog and share your thoughts and insights on your industry or interests. Many do this already on LinkedIn but need to realize that they’re adding brand value to the platform rather than themselves.
In summary, having a website in addition to LinkedIn gives any hotelier more control over their online presence, greater flexibility in how they present themselves, better search engine visibility, and more opportunities for engagement with the target audience. Over time it will become a valuable tool in promoting the career and preparing for a lucrative post-career business.
E. Have a Mentor
First, let me explain the difference between a Mentor and a Coach: Mentors and coaches work to support individuals in their personal and professional development, but there are some critical differences between the roles.
A mentor typically has extensive experience in his or her field and can provide clear guidance to the client. Mentors have a more informal relationship with their mentees and may provide advice on various personal and professional growth topics. On the other hand, a coach is typically someone who has been trained in specific coaching techniques and methodologies and is focused on helping clients to achieve specific goals in a more structured environment. They have a more structured relationship and provide coaching for executive coaching, resume writing, or sports coaching. The relationship is usually a short-term relationship at a specific price tag.
On the other hand, mentors usually provide a long-term relationship and in-depth guidance based on their experience in a particular field. For example, in my case: I accompany my clients on their journey and provide real-time assistance and advice. I help them navigate challenging situations, select a new job, and plan their career in great detail. My relationship is flexible. As a matter of fact, I go to great lengths to first build the relationship and the necessary trust potential.
I am accessible to my clients for all career issues and do not charge for them.
Conclusion: A successful career in the hotel industry requires more than just hard work and time. It demands a strategic approach to marketing oneself in the global arena. Your career is an ongoing process following a well-crafted career plan. Selling yourself is part of this plan, just like any business.
This information will be helpful in your journey toward success, and if you need assistance, book a free career call on my website.
Helmut H Meckelburg
The Career Hotelier