01-16-2016, 10:38 AM
Hospitality, restaurants, hotels, service industry IN GENERAL will always welcome you back. 
Also, as you know, they'll use you mercilessly. It's a hard way to make a living. No matter the wage, the working conditions will always be the same, so you have to look big picture.
If you decide to stay- I have a few suggestions. Go with larger brands, especially those with more locations and internal management training programs like Marriott. These guys actually encourage internal promotion up and off the floor, so you could continue schooling online and still work your way to the top. In addition, you'd get benefits and have more opportunities for relocation if the desire arose. Of course it is still a million unpredictable hours a week dealing with guests and high hourly turnover.
That said, sometimes exit and reentry is the only way to earn a living in this field. You've probably already observed this- but someone gets hired for $35k and then each year the hiring wage goes up 3-5% to be competitive with industry. Employees already employed are instead getting raises based on standard of living or time served- maybe something like 2-3%. For an employee who stays put for 10 years, it's likely that a new hire will come in at a HIGHER pay than a long time loyal employee. The only way to beat that system is to exit and re-enter at a new job every 3-6 years (salary) or 1-3 years (hourly). I've had co-workers leave jobs for 25c more an hour down the street or a better title for the same money.
My point is- you have to be strategic in this field or you'll get stuck in a rut. I was the chef at a hotel chain when I went into a community college. It's an entirely different world, where people expect regular hours, consistent schedules, and benefits. If I can be honest, the community college atmosphere is a little whiney overall (maybe I'm more sensitive to it because there's no crying in hospitality- just do it) but I was happy with the change. I worked 18 years at the community college before I left to move with my husband across the country for a new job. He left the hotel/restaurant world to teach at a culinary university, we are on year 3. He logged 25 years before landing softly in higher education. It's a nice place to go after a lot of years on your feet- but it all depends on where you see yourself.
My overall advice is even if you stay in your industry, you have to be more deliberate in planning your future or it'll eat you alive.
Also, as you know, they'll use you mercilessly. It's a hard way to make a living. No matter the wage, the working conditions will always be the same, so you have to look big picture.If you decide to stay- I have a few suggestions. Go with larger brands, especially those with more locations and internal management training programs like Marriott. These guys actually encourage internal promotion up and off the floor, so you could continue schooling online and still work your way to the top. In addition, you'd get benefits and have more opportunities for relocation if the desire arose. Of course it is still a million unpredictable hours a week dealing with guests and high hourly turnover.
That said, sometimes exit and reentry is the only way to earn a living in this field. You've probably already observed this- but someone gets hired for $35k and then each year the hiring wage goes up 3-5% to be competitive with industry. Employees already employed are instead getting raises based on standard of living or time served- maybe something like 2-3%. For an employee who stays put for 10 years, it's likely that a new hire will come in at a HIGHER pay than a long time loyal employee. The only way to beat that system is to exit and re-enter at a new job every 3-6 years (salary) or 1-3 years (hourly). I've had co-workers leave jobs for 25c more an hour down the street or a better title for the same money.
My point is- you have to be strategic in this field or you'll get stuck in a rut. I was the chef at a hotel chain when I went into a community college. It's an entirely different world, where people expect regular hours, consistent schedules, and benefits. If I can be honest, the community college atmosphere is a little whiney overall (maybe I'm more sensitive to it because there's no crying in hospitality- just do it) but I was happy with the change. I worked 18 years at the community college before I left to move with my husband across the country for a new job. He left the hotel/restaurant world to teach at a culinary university, we are on year 3. He logged 25 years before landing softly in higher education. It's a nice place to go after a lot of years on your feet- but it all depends on where you see yourself.
My overall advice is even if you stay in your industry, you have to be more deliberate in planning your future or it'll eat you alive.
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