The days when someone used to view a waiter or bartender as someone who is uneducated or just passing through till something better takes place are long gone.In today's fast paced world the Hospitality industry is flourishing providing a good income and opportunity for those who seek flexibility in both their work environment and how they want to live.



In a recent job market survey by the Canadian Food and Restaurant Association it states the Foodservice Industry employs over a million people or 6.3% of the total employment eclipsing other industries such as agriculture , forestry , pulp and paper , banking, and oil and gas extraction combined.

The young people entering the Hospitality profession are finally being rewarded financially as noted in the same survey with the first 8 months of 2007 citing an increase of 8.2% in average weekly earnings in Ontario as an example.So when at one time young people entered the profession to earn enough money to get by now they are looking at it as a career option.

With other former industries such as manufacturing that used to provide stability on the downswing because of changing demands and competition ,young people are turning to the hospitality industry because of it's guaranteed growth.

Just a note that the number of times reported that an average Canadian household ate out for a meal or snack in 2006 was a staggering 536 times. This statistic will only increase in the future as the time constraints on families multiply.

The Foodservice Industry has always been looked at with some criticism in the past because of the long and unsocial hours one works.Not anymore , in fact many people love the industry because they work with other like minded people developing teamwork and social skills , meet new people everyday in most cases when they serve the guests , and then at the end of the day go home to continue with their other interests.

All in all far from a boring life.

Some other professions involve working with computers and corresponding via email and cell phones prohibiting the human need to socially interact face to face. Although these are worthy occupations and some indeed very well paying the link to cell phones and email often means the job even after one leaves the workplace never really ends at all as their availability is with them everywhere they go.How may cell phones do you hear ring now when you are enjoying a dinner in a restaurant?

Few people in the Foodservice industry a decade ago every achieved any notoriety at all but now that has completely changed.With the start of Food Networks and the internet young people now can look to someone who is a chef , restaurant owner , or innkeeper whom they can aspire to right in their living room making the profession inviting and glamorous at the same time.

With the high self esteem of Foodservice personnel everywhere due in part to the constant instant gratification one receives from another meal cooked to perfection , or the gratuity a waiter receives each shift , who wouldn't dream of having their moment of glory in a show of their own or a cameo appearance in one.

One thing is for certain , the opportunities in the Foodservice Industry are limitless now and always will be for as long as there are people on this Earth there will always be someone willing to serve another.