Dental graduate trying to get into hotel front desk/guest relations
Hi everyone! I’m a dental school graduate, but for personal/career reasons I’m currently unable to work in dentistry, so I’m looking into transitioning into the hotel/hospitality industry.
I’m particularly interested in front desk/reception or guest relations, but I have essentially zero direct hotel experience, and I’m honestly a bit lost about how realistic this transition is and where I should start.
I do have experience dealing with patients, including communicating with different types of people, handling anxious or difficult patients, explaining things clearly, staying professional under pressure, managing appointments, and working in a busy clinical environment. I’m wondering how much of that would actually be considered transferable to a hotel position.
For those of you who work in hotels, especially in reception/front office/guest relations:
- What would you expect from someone applying with no hospitality experience?
- What skills should I work on before applying?
- Would a dental/healthcare background be considered useful, or would employers mostly overlook it?
- Is it realistic to apply directly for receptionist/guest relations positions, or should I start with another hotel role?
- What would make a candidate with no hotel experience stand out?
- Should I lie about it?
I’m not looking for someone to tell me that I definitely can get a job, I’d genuinely appreciate some honest advice on how to approach the transition and what I should be doing to make myself a stronger candidate.
Thank you!