Find the Passion In Your Career [infographic] – Friday Distraction
(Editor’s Note: Today’s post is brought to you by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation . As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF works to attract, develop and retain professionals for the restaurant industry. Enjoy today’s post!)
On my way to the HR Technology Conference last month, I watched the movie “Chef”. If you’re a foodie like me, you’ll love it. (Side Note: Be prepared for a few NSFW moments.) Anyway, I don’t want to give away the plot, but there was a really great scene in the movie where John Leguizamo’s character quits his job at a fancy restaurant to work on a food truck.
Now you might be thinking WTH?! Why would anyone give up the equivalent of working at a Fortune 100 for some non-descript company? The answer: because he knows his passion.
When it comes to careers, I don’t necessarily think of passion as one specific place of work. It’s about the work you do – your craft. This is definitely true in the restaurant industry. You get bitten by the bug. Your co-workers become part of your extended family.
That’s one of the reasons that employees stay in the restaurant industry. According to today’s infographic from the National Restaurant Association’s Education Foundation, 70% of restaurant employees plan to stay in the industry until they retire.
If moving into management is part of your career plans, the average tenure of a restaurant manager is 20 years. While many industries are expressing concern about employee engagement and retention, here’s an industry with impressive results.
I will admit, the restaurant industry isn’t for everyone. It’s a lot of hard work. It’s working on weekends, evenings and holidays. But for those who find their passion, it’s a lifetime of wonderful memories and great friends. That’s pretty good for something we call a job.
