Zara or hotel reception?

[theautumnleavess]

I'm in a position where I have been offered two jobs.
One is a hotel receptionist
The other is Zara
Both full time
Same pay etc

I'm so torn

What would you do ?

DEFINITELY Zara. Some customers in hotels treat the staff like shit, and if you are a receptionist in a hotel, it won't be long before you're expected to do waitressing and housekeeping when they're a bit short-staffed. Despite what a pp said, you are just as likely to have career progression in Zara as you are in a hotel.

Also, would you even want career progression in a hotel? My DD's friend is a manager of a particular branch of a certain budget hotel, and she has all sorts of responsibilities and is often worked to the bone. Sometimes 60 hours a week, often covering 3-11pm as no-one has turned up for the shift, and then in again at 7am. As well as her own hours - with NO extra pay. No life. And she gets around £32,000 a year. Fuck that. You'd get more money on checkout and stacking shelves in Aldi - with no responsibilities, and for 40 hours a week, instead of 60!

I would choose hotel receptionist any day over retail. I would then use my experience to get an office receptionist job and then try and progress that way. Maybe train in HR or billing on the side.

I would go for the hotel, like PP have said there's a lot more room for progression. Also they nah offer indentured like room upgrades where you get a cut. With regard to Christmas, I never worked Christmas Day one and I worked as a hotel receptionist for close to 4 years. They knew I celebrated it and although I had to book it off in advance they would have still been lenient if others had got in there first.
It's extremely quiet on Christmas Day therefore they won't require as many staff members as they would usually so you have a good chance you won't have to work.
Whatever decision you make, best of luck!

Oops! They may offer incentives* I meant

@theautumnleavess I can't give advice on which would be better - but if you went for the hotel one, you won't be expected to work every Christmas. Most places where working on Christmas Day is normal, usually have a rota. Although you would probably find you had to work this year's one - unless you have already got 'holidays' booked up over Christmas, which you could ask about before you take the job.

I love Zara. Do you get a staff discount?

Ps depending on hotel location, the guests can give good tips! I worked in Leicester Square and would get on average a good £10 or so per shift

Hotel because it's closer. You get more time to yourself outside of work.

Hotel! More varied, you get a seat as opposed to standing all day!
More options to move sideways/up etc as and when you want a change, get bored or want to progress.
More jobs in it globally too and very transferable skills.
Depends if that interests you, otherwise for a discount on lovely stuff go Zara!

I've done both, and would go for the hotel every time.

It's very normal to have shift patterns that have a late going straight into an early (so you'd do 3-11 on a Monday, then 7-3 on Tuesday, then late again on Weds etc etc). You can make this work to your advantage, because you get full blocks of 24hrs off (when you finish at 3 on Tues, you're not back in until 3 on Weds), and it can extend your days off considerably - so finish at 3, 2 days off, back on a late shift the next day.
All that depends on how they do their rotas, and is one thing I would definitely check.

But there are loads of transferable skills from hotel reception work, and I'd say it paves the way to more opportunities.

Hotel as it’s closer. Shops have shit hours too and peak times require overtime (sale and Christmas) too so the hours of both are probably similar really.

But Zara would require working late on Christmas Eve and on Boxing Day, to say nothing of dealing with manic sales etc.

Having kids shouldn't affect what you're expected to work. It should be done on a fair rota system.

That said it's likely you'll have to do some Xmas day shifts and probably this year as it's your first.

But shifts would like 7-3 or 3-12 so that's not too bad.

Also remember if your working at Zara from 9am you'll be travelling an hour during rush hour and will likely need to leave more time for parking than a hotel.

Personally I'd take something 20 minutes away that has more prospects for promotion - even if not within the hotel you may learn admin skills that are transferable.

Is that 7 am for the hotel? If so, presumably it's shifts? I'd like the prospect of having time off during the day. To get to Zara for 9 am in rush hour you will need to allow more than an hour.

But you possibly get free meals at the hotel, and other discounts?

Hotel 10000%. Not sure why you'd even consider a 2 hour commute to work in retail at Zara at, what I'm guessing, is minimum wage? Don't forget it's an hour one way so double to that travel and cost wise. You won't be expected to work any Christmas days or holidays just because you don't have children. There will always be a rota for this and everyone is expected to do their fair share. On another side, I work for the NHS and have had to work my fair share of Christmas Day/Boxing Day/new years eve/day and generally these shifts are actually really nice.

If you have to work Christmas Day, the chances are you get Christmas Eve or Boxing Day off, so you can just make that your personal Christmas Day.

They might both pay the same, but as Zara is an hour away once you factor in travel costs and parking, you have less takehome each month.
Zara, a lot of walking and standing
Reception, not so much plus if they do weddings and parties, it could be more interesting and fun. Also with the hotel, whjere you interviewed by the owners and did you like them.
Plus check the reviews for the hotel from guests, if they are good then it suggests its a good place to work

Hotel - much more interesting and better on your CV. More transferable skills.

I’ve never been so exhausted and demoralised in my life as when I worked in a hotel. They expect it to be your entire existence. I lasted a year and then escaped. Never again!!

However, there may be more opportunities for career progression and cross training. It may be worth it just for that, as when you leave you could go on to something bigger and better and higher paid.

Retail can be very dull, and managerial positions (and maybe head office) are probably about as far as you can go. I hated working in retail too FYI but was less stressed, less anxious, and had more of a life!

Also - if the receptionist job involves sitting down all day then you will probably put on weight. Retail and restaurant work had me running around all over the place and I didn’t appreciate at the time how much easier it was to stay fit! I work in an office environment now and I’m having to do intermittent fasting to try and keep my weight down. Sitting down all day really doesn’t agree with me.

What's the working hours situation? As you say, they're both full time so presumably the same number of hours, but when are the shifts you'd be expected to work? Has the hotel told you exactly what your regular start and finish times and days would be? Just thinking that if they haven't, you could find yourself being asked to work nights at times.

Worth checking out what other benefits you get etc - bonuses/commission, for instance, staff discounts etc. I'm guessing you get a decent discount on clothes if you work at Zara BUT you mght also be expected to wear their clothes for work every day and would be encouraged to buy new season stuff, which even with a discount can be annoyingly expensive. Whereas for a hotel you'd typically just have to wear a smart suit or something or would be provided with a uniform.

I was going to say Zara, but like fuck would I travel an hour to work there. The hotel, but be aware of the shifts.

Hotel will give you more transferable skills

Also can’t see any point wasting 80 minutes travelling time each day for the same pay as the hotel.

Hotel then definitely if it’s an hour to Zara. More progression there too.

I have always found Zara staff to look utterly miserable and they are often rude. I've noticed it in different branches in different places. So if you want to try and break the mould OP, go for it! The receptionist job might offer better chance of progression and would be more interesting on a daily basis but the shift patterns might be difficult.