If there is one trait that can be ascribed to all Singaporeans, it’s no doubt a love for food. From trendy hipster cafés to the revitalisation of hawker offerings, Singaporeans have a taste for novel dining experiences.
This voracious appetite chalked up over S$667 million in sales for food and beverage (F&B) services in January 2018 alone. In fact, the latest Quarterly Tourism Performance Report for Q3 2017 revealed that food and beverage revenue forms 9% of the Singapore’s tourism receipts. It’s no wonder the local F&B industry is hungry for skilled and qualified manpower to take their businesses to greater heights.
If you enjoy going the extra mile to deliver impeccable service and love a fast-paced environment, then Singapore’s robust F&B industry might be your place to be. Here are a few tips to get in:
1. Furthering education through lifelong learning
When we say furthering education, we don’t mean costly full-time courses. If you are a working adult looking for a career switch (and are above 25 years old), you may wish to consider using your skills future credit for specialised courses with lower downtime.
Singapore has a huge network of Continuing Education and Training (CET) centres – like SHATEC and Asian Culinary Institute – that provide training for Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) courses ranging from culinary arts and service excellence to even F&B safety and hygiene procedures.
2. Pursue hands-on experience
Not entirely sure if you’ll fit the bill? If you some have time to spare, pick up a temporary job over the weekends or the school holidays at a dining establishment to figure it out. If you are able to handle the job during its peak hours, you already have one foot in the door.
Working from the ground up will enable you to better understand the needs of customers and the challenges faced by service staff. It will also be a valuable experience that you can tap on as you rise through the ranks, no matter if you are working on the floor or managing things behind the scenes.
3. Be prepared for manual labour and odd hours
Although seeing customers with a smile on their faces can be a very rewarding feeling at the end of the day, work in the F&B industry is laborious and likely requires shift work. Yes, that means your precious weekends and evenings could potentially disappear.
However, if you are opposed to the 9-to-5 routine, then the F&B industry might be a good fit for you. The work in a restaurant, café or bar surely can be a welcome alternative for many that find it hard to sit behind a desk for the most part of the day.
4. Cultivate your soft skills
Like the hospitality industry, the F&B sector is inextricably linked to satisfying customers. While some technical job skills are essential, soft skills like managing customer relations, adapting quickly to change, and being approachable are equally vital to your success in mastering this industry.
Customers are not always right. They can be challenging and difficult at times. But being able to keep it cool in any situation, communicating effectively will truly make a difference with customers. The daily work with customers and different colleagues will give you the chance to develop your interpersonal skills.
