Our team at Otolo gather insights provided by hospitality experts and mentors to provide you with career advice, job ads and personal development. And we like to share interesting resources to guide you through hospitality whether you are starting, changing roles or stepping up!
With zillions of job ads and hundreds of resources and websites out there, we understand that it’s tricky to navigate your career in hospitality. Whether you want to work in the UK, US, Europe or anywhere else in the world we have hand-picked some of our favourite hospitality websites, job boards, apps, recruiters, communities, and platforms to help you on your journey.
Our Top 10 Picks
Code App – Code App is unique to the hospitality industry and its membership is exclusive for people working in the sector. Monthly membership is manageable at £3.99 per month via an app on your phone. Code is not only a great place to discover jobs in the industry, but it also offers exclusive offers across restaurants, bars and hotels in the UK saving you £100s each year. You also get a weekly newsletter with industry lowdown, prizes, and one-off perks.
The Staff Canteen – The Staff Canteen is great if you are looking to start as a chef or are looking to advance your career within hospitality in the kitchen. With a jobs board and community dedicated to kitchen staff, you can find your vibe. They also have a LinkedIn page which is good for following the latest chef and hospitality insight.
Harri – Here’s the most popular end-to-end workforce platform used by the hospitality industry. Working with restaurants, hotels and retailers they create job boards for some of the largest hospitality groups. From Radisson to D&D Group, The Ivy Collection and more Harri covers it all from FOH, BOH, kitchen, support office, sales and marketing, you name it there will be a role for you!
Counter Talk – Counter Talk aims to promote healthy work environments, connect people and help improve the industry we love. They have a jobs board and offer career advice from everything on how to write your cookbook to how to get into the industry.
Event Grads – Event Grads was started by one of OTOLO’s mentors, Noami Hollas. Coming out of university amid the pandemic Naomi has grown her community on LinkedIn to help new starters know where to find roles.
Brigad – Want to explore hospitality and dip your toe in alongside studying or another role? Why not try Brigad for temporary roles in hospitality. They cover front and back of house from waiting to bar and hosting.
Cria recruitment – Cria works with top talent across the industry, placing highly skilled individuals into roles, as well as working on recruitment and placement of staff in forward-thinking businesses working as in-house function for companies including Harrods and Caravan Restaurants.
Hospitality Jobs UK is a dedicated job board headquartered in Hertfordshire that works with employers and delivers exceptional talent across the UK in pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, catering, leisure, travel, and events.
Off to Work is the UK’s premier event staffing, permanent recruitment, training and consultancy company. The consultancy supported some of the most prestigious events in the UK and beyond since 2000. They source, educate and inspire exceptional events and hospitality teams who bring experiences to life by injecting passion, skill and knowledge into everything they do.
Caterer.com work with the industry, for the industry, providing innovative, effective solutions to hospitality hiring challenges. Their audience, technology and partnerships mean they’re uniquely placedto connect hospitality employers and candidates. The platform helps hospitality people find the right job for them, and help hospitality employers hire the people they need.
US
Hcareers started as a hotel job board in 1998. Since then, the company has evolved into a real-time, tech-first solution for both employers and professionals in North America’s burgeoning hospitality industry and takes great pride in being the largest community of hospitality talent at 5.7 million members and growing.
Hospitality Online offer a job board, a recruiting hub, an applicant tracking system, an assessment tool, a talent community, and an onboarding platform. They believe the candidate experience should be reflecting the guest experience.
Hosco empowers the hospitality industry by connecting, inspiring, and providing opportunities to all its professionals around the world. Founded in 2011, headquartered in Geneva and with offices in Barcelona and Dubai, Hosco currently connects hundreds of thousands of professionals with thousands of first-class companies all over the world. To the industry, it offers an ever-growing pool of the world’s best talent through its partnership with top hospitality schools across all continents.
Catererglobal.com offers an easy-to-use recruitment website for vacancies in the world’s best hotels, restaurant operators and cruise ships. The platform focuses on the needs of the international hospitality industry, bringing the very best candidates for any role requirements.
Hospitality Jobs Vacancies was created for sharing the advertising between jobs positions in the Hotel industry and related and offers employer and job seeker packages.
If you wish to work in a particular hotel chain, you can also consult large hotel group open job positions, as they have their own recruitment websites: Accor, IHG, Hyatt, Hilton, Jumeirah and Marriott.
Best Job Boards and Apps - Takeaways from our live session on February 3rd — 17:00 GMT
In the second episode “Best Job Boards & Apps”, Craig and Naomi Hollas, Founder of Event Grads provided students and younger professionals tips to conduct their job search, and which are the best platforms to source job opportunities.
Craig Prentice, Founder of Hospitality Talent Partner mum
“Don’t obsess with the search, keep track of everything, and spend time connecting with people. Show your individuality, a genuine passion, a desire to connect. It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know. We’re so obsessed with time, and I think graduates have an amazing opportunity to connect with people in businesses, such as the Otolo community. It’s very exciting. Always be proactive and keep your eyes on job offers because it’s horrible to miss opportunities.”
“Have a spreadsheet, treat your job search like a project. Find out about new openings at your favourite hotel brands. Also, on the flipside of referrals, it’s about connecting with the right recruitment specialist or talent partner: if you’re good at what you do, if you’re a natural fit, good recruiters will make time for you.”
“I think it’s inappropriate to go to an event and open up right away about your job search. Always connect first before mentioning your intentions. Be you, be natural and ask for a card to follow up afterwards!”
“Anyone applying for roles should expect to be acknowledged if it’s one click, but if it’s a relationship, I’d expect to give feedback. Providing feedback for anyone who’s been interviewed doesn’t always happen as things do slip through the net. Candidates should also follow up and ask for feedback.”
Naomi Hollas, Founder of Event Grads
“There are so many titles and roles available out there. Don’t limit yourself when looking for opportunities. You’re not alone. We all came together; we have the same challenges in trying to find a job. There seems to be a lot of jobs but still a disconnect, a lack of confidence at the moment. But it’s exciting to see that roles are coming back in hospitality.”
“One of the things I noticed in the last two jobs: a recruiter found me on LinkedIn and put me in touch with someone else. Always put yourself out there and do that little extra that makes you stand out. At that entry-level stage, you need a bit more to stand out. And remember your spelling and grammar: if you’re going to say Spider-Man is your favourite Marvel character, write it correctly.”
“Make friends. Build relationships. When it comes to recruiters, as a graduate you don’t know how to approach them, how the process works. Always do your research, and don’t waste your time.”
“I remember I was upset I didn’t get feedback from a job I was really hoping to get, it took me a couple of days to get over it. So, I asked them for feedback and received a few paragraphs of very constructive feedback. It helped me so much, it’s the kind of transparency from a recruiter perspective that I needed to learn for the next job interview. I think Gen Z are looking for transparency and honesty, it shows they’ve been valued, especially after the toughest times when we fired so many people.”
James Lemon, Founder and CEO of Otolo
“Put yourself out there. Everyone is hiring at the moment. If you work in restaurants, you almost want candidates to come direct. You know you’re just one of many they could pick. A candidate needs to be nurturing a relationship with a business.”
“When you’re new to an industry, perhaps it’s a little tougher to open the door to a recruiter. Plus, recruiters always create a shortlist, but there’s this one person who ticks all the boxes. Be very careful in tailoring your application. Everyone loves it when they’re flattered but everyone is looking for people right now. If you want to get into marketing, a recruiter should see some examples of that, for instance, that you go to events and blog about it.”
“It’s not rude to ask for feedback after an interview, but consider that the person giving the feedback may be swamped with the other candidates to go back to as well.”
Luce Watson, Marketing Lead at Otolo
“Perseverance stands out. There are groups and communities out there, for instance, if you’re a Chef, use The Staff Canteen or if you specialise in events, use Event Grads. It depends on what you’re looking for. Candidates need to connect with like-minded people and include all the experiences they have to maximise their chances of getting a job interview.”
“Sometimes you can overthink it. Hirers will take transferrable skills, especially now. Always wonder if this aligns or works. You’re not alone. Everyone is very people-focused, so if you are struggling, reach out to someone who works in the company.”
“Dig a little bit deeper and you’ll find more opportunities. You never know how the conversation is gonna go. Get yourself a mentor, it’s very valuable and essentially, create your little bubble, your little network, it’ll help with your job search and your mental health.”
Watch the replay 👇
We hope we gave you the advice you needed to conduct your job search, and that it’ll help you secure that job interview! Take a look at our piece that lists the different steps in preparing for your next job interview. Good luck!
Early Careers: 25 apps and job boards to fuel your dream career in Hospitality
Our team at Otolo gather insights provided by hospitality experts and mentors to provide you with career advice, job ads and personal development. And we like to share interesting resources to guide you through hospitality whether you are starting, changing roles or stepping up!
With zillions of job ads and hundreds of resources and websites out there, we understand that it’s tricky to navigate your career in hospitality. Whether you want to work in the UK, US, Europe or anywhere else in the world we have hand-picked some of our favourite hospitality websites, job boards, apps, recruiters, communities, and platforms to help you on your journey.
Our Top 10 Picks
Code App – Code App is unique to the hospitality industry and its membership is exclusive for people working in the sector. Monthly membership is manageable at £3.99 per month via an app on your phone. Code is not only a great place to discover jobs in the industry, but it also offers exclusive offers across restaurants, bars and hotels in the UK saving you £100s each year. You also get a weekly newsletter with industry lowdown, prizes, and one-off perks.
The Staff Canteen – The Staff Canteen is great if you are looking to start as a chef or are looking to advance your career within hospitality in the kitchen. With a jobs board and community dedicated to kitchen staff, you can find your vibe. They also have a LinkedIn page which is good for following the latest chef and hospitality insight.
Harri – Here’s the most popular end-to-end workforce platform used by the hospitality industry. Working with restaurants, hotels and retailers they create job boards for some of the largest hospitality groups. From Radisson to D&D Group, The Ivy Collection and more Harri covers it all from FOH, BOH, kitchen, support office, sales and marketing, you name it there will be a role for you!
The Institute of Hospitality – The Institute of Hospitality is one of the oldest award-winning professional bodies for individuals working and studying in hospitality, leisure and tourism. Founded in 1938 IOH hosts a job board that has helped more than 10,000 hospitality professionals in 100 countries grow their professional profile, knowledge and expertise.
Counter Talk – Counter Talk aims to promote healthy work environments, connect people and help improve the industry we love. They have a jobs board and offer career advice from everything on how to write your cookbook to how to get into the industry.
Placed App - Placed is a smart and revolutionary UK-based mobile and web app that matches candidates to their perfect job based on skills, past experiences and personality.
Looking for entry-level roles or shift work?
Event Grads – Event Grads was started by one of OTOLO’s mentors, Noami Hollas. Coming out of university amid the pandemic Naomi has grown her community on LinkedIn to help new starters know where to find roles.
Brigad – Want to explore hospitality and dip your toe in alongside studying or another role? Why not try Brigad for temporary roles in hospitality. They cover front and back of house from waiting to bar and hosting.
Cria recruitment – Cria works with top talent across the industry, placing highly skilled individuals into roles, as well as working on recruitment and placement of staff in forward-thinking businesses working as in-house function for companies including Harrods and Caravan Restaurants.
Looking for mid-level to senior roles?
mum Talent Partner – Putting people at the heart of everything he does, one of our favourite hospitality talent partners is Craig, founder of mum. With one goal, mum introduces exceptional talent to the most forward-thinking and exciting hospitality and leisure brands out there.
UK
Hospitality Jobs UK is a dedicated job board headquartered in Hertfordshire that works with employers and delivers exceptional talent across the UK in pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, catering, leisure, travel, and events.
HotelJobs is powered by Leisurejobs.com as part of the Leisurejobs Group and caters for every position at every level and location across the broad spectrum of the leisure and hospitality industry.
Since 1938, the Institute of Hospitality is an award-winning, global, professional body for individuals working in, and studying in, hospitality, leisure and tourism. Thanks to their job board, they helped more than 10,000 hospitality professionals in 100 countries grow their professional profile, knowledge and expertise.
Off to Work is the UK’s premier event staffing, permanent recruitment, training and consultancy company. The consultancy supported some of the most prestigious events in the UK and beyond since 2000. They source, educate and inspire exceptional events and hospitality teams who bring experiences to life by injecting passion, skill and knowledge into everything they do.
Caterer.com work with the industry, for the industry, providing innovative, effective solutions to hospitality hiring challenges. Their audience, technology and partnerships mean they’re uniquely placed to connect hospitality employers and candidates. The platform helps hospitality people find the right job for them, and help hospitality employers hire the people they need.
US
Hcareers started as a hotel job board in 1998. Since then, the company has evolved into a real-time, tech-first solution for both employers and professionals in North America’s burgeoning hospitality industry and takes great pride in being the largest community of hospitality talent at 5.7 million members and growing.
Hospitality Online offer a job board, a recruiting hub, an applicant tracking system, an assessment tool, a talent community, and an onboarding platform. They believe the candidate experience should be reflecting the guest experience.
France
Journal des Palaces’ English version is the best place to get the news, communicate, connect, and recruit: news, jobs, directories, agenda… They cover ultra-luxury hospitality worldwide.
The rest of the world
HSI offers a highly specialised recruitment resource service, and has access to the best and most professional candidates with stable corporate identities.
Hosco empowers the hospitality industry by connecting, inspiring, and providing opportunities to all its professionals around the world. Founded in 2011, headquartered in Geneva and with offices in Barcelona and Dubai, Hosco currently connects hundreds of thousands of professionals with thousands of first-class companies all over the world. To the industry, it offers an ever-growing pool of the world’s best talent through its partnership with top hospitality schools across all continents.
Catererglobal.com offers an easy-to-use recruitment website for vacancies in the world’s best hotels, restaurant operators and cruise ships. The platform focuses on the needs of the international hospitality industry, bringing the very best candidates for any role requirements.
Hospitality Jobs Vacancies was created for sharing the advertising between jobs positions in the Hotel industry and related and offers employer and job seeker packages.
CourtesyMasters was founded in the year 1999 as an independent company for innovative and excellent services in the areas of international hospitality management recruitment and executive search, nowadays full-service hospitality talent management for employers and hospitality career management for professionals.
Hotel chains
If you wish to work in a particular hotel chain, you can also consult large hotel group open job positions, as they have their own recruitment websites: Accor, IHG, Hyatt, Hilton, Jumeirah and Marriott.
Best Job Boards and Apps - Takeaways from our live session on February 3rd — 17:00 GMT
In the second episode “Best Job Boards & Apps”, Craig and Naomi Hollas, Founder of Event Grads provided students and younger professionals tips to conduct their job search, and which are the best platforms to source job opportunities.
Craig Prentice, Founder of Hospitality Talent Partner mum
“Don’t obsess with the search, keep track of everything, and spend time connecting with people. Show your individuality, a genuine passion, a desire to connect. It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know. We’re so obsessed with time, and I think graduates have an amazing opportunity to connect with people in businesses, such as the Otolo community. It’s very exciting. Always be proactive and keep your eyes on job offers because it’s horrible to miss opportunities.”
“Have a spreadsheet, treat your job search like a project. Find out about new openings at your favourite hotel brands. Also, on the flipside of referrals, it’s about connecting with the right recruitment specialist or talent partner: if you’re good at what you do, if you’re a natural fit, good recruiters will make time for you.”
“I think it’s inappropriate to go to an event and open up right away about your job search. Always connect first before mentioning your intentions. Be you, be natural and ask for a card to follow up afterwards!”
“Anyone applying for roles should expect to be acknowledged if it’s one click, but if it’s a relationship, I’d expect to give feedback. Providing feedback for anyone who’s been interviewed doesn’t always happen as things do slip through the net. Candidates should also follow up and ask for feedback.”
Naomi Hollas, Founder of Event Grads
“There are so many titles and roles available out there. Don’t limit yourself when looking for opportunities. You’re not alone. We all came together; we have the same challenges in trying to find a job. There seems to be a lot of jobs but still a disconnect, a lack of confidence at the moment. But it’s exciting to see that roles are coming back in hospitality.”
“One of the things I noticed in the last two jobs: a recruiter found me on LinkedIn and put me in touch with someone else. Always put yourself out there and do that little extra that makes you stand out. At that entry-level stage, you need a bit more to stand out. And remember your spelling and grammar: if you’re going to say Spider-Man is your favourite Marvel character, write it correctly.”
“Make friends. Build relationships. When it comes to recruiters, as a graduate you don’t know how to approach them, how the process works. Always do your research, and don’t waste your time.”
“I remember I was upset I didn’t get feedback from a job I was really hoping to get, it took me a couple of days to get over it. So, I asked them for feedback and received a few paragraphs of very constructive feedback. It helped me so much, it’s the kind of transparency from a recruiter perspective that I needed to learn for the next job interview. I think Gen Z are looking for transparency and honesty, it shows they’ve been valued, especially after the toughest times when we fired so many people.”
James Lemon, Founder and CEO of Otolo
“Put yourself out there. Everyone is hiring at the moment. If you work in restaurants, you almost want candidates to come direct. You know you’re just one of many they could pick. A candidate needs to be nurturing a relationship with a business.”
“When you’re new to an industry, perhaps it’s a little tougher to open the door to a recruiter. Plus, recruiters always create a shortlist, but there’s this one person who ticks all the boxes. Be very careful in tailoring your application. Everyone loves it when they’re flattered but everyone is looking for people right now. If you want to get into marketing, a recruiter should see some examples of that, for instance, that you go to events and blog about it.”
“It’s not rude to ask for feedback after an interview, but consider that the person giving the feedback may be swamped with the other candidates to go back to as well.”
Luce Watson, Marketing Lead at Otolo
“Perseverance stands out. There are groups and communities out there, for instance, if you’re a Chef, use The Staff Canteen or if you specialise in events, use Event Grads. It depends on what you’re looking for. Candidates need to connect with like-minded people and include all the experiences they have to maximise their chances of getting a job interview.”
“Sometimes you can overthink it. Hirers will take transferrable skills, especially now. Always wonder if this aligns or works. You’re not alone. Everyone is very people-focused, so if you are struggling, reach out to someone who works in the company.”
“Dig a little bit deeper and you’ll find more opportunities. You never know how the conversation is gonna go. Get yourself a mentor, it’s very valuable and essentially, create your little bubble, your little network, it’ll help with your job search and your mental health.”
Watch the replay 👇
We hope we gave you the advice you needed to conduct your job search, and that it’ll help you secure that job interview! Take a look at our piece that lists the different steps in preparing for your next job interview. Good luck!
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