what is a hostess?
A hostess is a versatile profession with a variety of different venues and responsibilities. You can find hostesses at trade fairs, conferences, conventions, events, or sporting occasions. They perform a range of interesting tasks, such as welcoming guests and visitors, providing information, working in catering by serving food and drinks, or assisting at promotional events. At these events, hostesses mainly draw attention to products or services with promotional gifts and distribute informational materials. With their friendly manner and well-groomed appearance, they represent the client’s company professionally.
The profession of a hostess is quite versatile and offers variety. For example, in the tourism industry, hostesses look after guests during their travels and accompany them to the train station or airport. During their stay at the destination, they serve as a point of contact and take on tasks such as organising programmes and handling their preparation and follow-up.
Hostesses are also employed at events and large-scale gatherings. The transition to the hospitality sector is seamless, particularly in catering. Overall, the roles of a hostess can be categorised into the following areas: providing information, catering, promotion, sales advice, modelling, and other duties.
hostess jobsworking as a hostess.
The most important task of a hostess is to warmly welcome guests and look after them. With your friendly, open manner and strong social skills, you ensure that visitors or guests feel completely at ease. Providing excellent service is something you genuinely care about.
Your specific tasks depend on the particular area of work and the organisation you are employed by. The following activities are commonly carried out by hostesses:
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your area of responsibility
- The business card of the organisation: As a hostess, you are the point of contact for guests. They may approach you with questions or other requests. If you don’t know the answer offhand, you gather the necessary information for the guests and ensure they receive assistance as quickly as possible. A hostess should always present herself in an approachable manner, so that everyone feels comfortable approaching her if needed.
- The reception of guests or visitors: Hostesses welcome attendees at events, trade fairs, or in sales areas, and may also register their attendance. Sometimes, this service includes taking care of their coats and accompanying them to the right location or seat. All of this is done with as much natural enthusiasm as possible for the role of host, so that the warmth and friendliness are felt by the visitor or guest.
- Providing information: No matter which organisation or company you work for, you need to know all the essential information inside out and be able to recall it at any time. This includes excellent knowledge about a product, an event, a service, or local attractions. Good familiarity with the venue and the layout of the event location is also expected.
- An overview of the guests or visitors: To ensure a pleasant atmosphere, it’s important that everything runs smoothly and no one steps out of line. If a hostess receives a complaint about a guest, she is responsible for resolving the issue, ideally in a discreet manner.
- You always demonstrate approachability and helpfulness in your role as a hostess.
- Support with questions and issues: Visitors may occasionally have questions or encounter problems. You might already have the solution at hand, and if not, you ask around to find out the best way to resolve the issue. Guests should always feel confident that they can come to you with any questions and will receive helpful assistance.
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who are your colleagues?
As a hostess, you work within a team of hostesses who are also working at the same event as you. You can share experiences about the job, divide up your responsibilities, and support each other in tricky situations. Of course, you'll also come into contact with the event organisers, trade fair staff, service and kitchen personnel, security, and so on.
types of hostesses.
As a hostess, you'll have a diverse range of tasks, which largely depend on the nature of your assignment. For example, as a hostess at an information desk, you might distribute informational materials with the aim of attracting new customers. At a catering stand at a trade fair, you're responsible for handing out small snacks or serving drinks. Model hostesses are typically very good-looking and are meant to attract the attention of potential clients. Their main role is to present products in an especially inviting way, such as at an automotive show. These are just two of many opportunities to work as a hostess.
salary as a hostess.
how much do I earn as a hostess in a permanent position?
Hostesses mainly work on a part-time basis. Their assignments are usually temporary, either depending on the season in the hotel and catering industry or for the duration of a trade fair or event. Most hostess jobs are paid on an hourly basis.
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how much do I earn as a hostess per hour?
Depending on the event and the company, your hourly rate varies between 25 CHF and 45 CHF per hour. It’s quite individual. Unfortunately, there are no reliable or meaningful figures available regarding the average pay for hostesses in salary analyses.
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in which industry do I earn the most as a hostess?
As a hostess, you earn the most where the expectations of clients and guests are particularly high. The more exclusive the event, the higher the pay tends to be. Since there are many different types of assignments for hostesses, there will always be jobs with higher or lower hourly wages.
training and further education as a hostess.
Becoming a hostess doesn't require any specific training. Most job adverts simply specify a minimum age requirement. Primarily, a neat appearance, good manners, a service-oriented attitude, fluent German, and, if possible, knowledge of foreign languages are valued, especially at international events, trade fairs, and conferences.
positions as a hostess.
At Randstad, you can find positions as a hostess in various sectors. Staff with the role of host or hostess are always in demand: at trade fairs, larger and smaller events, major gatherings, and conferences. Friendly personnel at the reception to welcome visitors or guests are often appreciated and are seen as the face of the company or event. At Randstad, you'll regularly find interesting job opportunities for hostesses. It's worth keeping an eye out for new listings!
positions for career changers as hostesses.
Since being a hostess isn't a traditional vocational training, as a career changer you have a good chance of finding a job. What's important are a well-groomed appearance, strong social skills, and enjoying the opportunity to approach people openly, greet them, and be helpful.
Experience in guest and customer service as a promoter, service staff at events, or in the hospitality industry is highly valued. Prior to each assignment as a hostess, specialised training sessions (briefings) are conducted to prepare for the specific event.
career opportunities and development potential as a hostess.
Hostesses have good prospects of regularly finding exciting jobs and developing their skills. You have the opportunity to work with different companies and on various projects, gaining valuable experience. With this wealth of experience, you could, for example, progress to a team leader role and manage your own team of hostesses. As a team leader, you would give instructions, motivate your team members, brief them on their tasks, and ensure everything runs smoothly.
competencies as a hostess.
Is the well-being of guests and visitors close to your heart? Then you already possess a very important quality for hostesses: a genuine enjoyment of the hosting role. As a representative, you present yourself well and with charm. You enjoy communicating, and you do so fluently in German and possibly other languages? Perfect! Hostesses should be flexible and able to adapt to the wishes of guests and visitors. Even small changes to plans are no problem for them.
benefits of working as a hostess at randstad.
There are many good reasons to work as a hostess at Randstad:
✓ exciting jobs at well-known companies
✓ a reliable point of contact whenever you need one; personalised advice matters
✓ attractive employment conditions and good social benefits
✓ further education courses and personal development opportunities
✓ clear information in the myRandstad app
✓ do you have a fixed-term contract? Often, there’s the opportunity to secure a permanent position afterwards. Many well-known companies also recruit their staff directly through Randstad
your training budget as a hostess at randstad.
If you work as a hostess for Randstad, you have access to training courses. As part of the TempTraining programme from swissstaffing, you can attend various training sessions. You will be reimbursed for the course fees later, provided you pass the course exam. Your Randstad consultant is there to support you if you have any questions. This way, you can acquire additional language skills or job-specific knowledge, all during your working hours as a hostess.
application tips for hostess at randstad.
Have you found your dream job as a hostess? It's not just qualifications and certificates that determine the success of your applications. Careful, error-free, and personalised documents will definitely help you in your job search. Here are a few useful tips to optimise your chances:
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1. find a position as a hostess
Search through Randstad job vacancies. If you can't find a position that exactly suits you, you're still welcome to get in touch with us personally without any obligation or to create a Randstad profile.
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2. applying as a hostess
The job advert continues: apply online, give us a call, or send us an email.
Make sure your documents are complete:✓ CV with photo
✓ employment references & diplomasYou don't have a CV yet, or only an outdated version? Create a new layout using a free online template.
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3. preparing for a job interview as a hostess
A good preparation helps you stay calm during a job interview as a hostess. Here are some tips for your interview.
frequently asked questions.
Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions about the profession of hostess.
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what does a hostess do?
A hostess welcomes guests or visitors and ensures they feel comfortable. Since hostesses work in various locations, their specific duties depend on the setting. One thing is certain: as a hostess, you are the face of the company or event. An important and interesting role!
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how much do I earn as a hostess?
How much you earn as a hostess depends on the specific job: How many hours do you work? Do you work on weekends or in the evenings? In that case, special rates are likely to be charged, depending on the client. Your earnings increase with the number of hours worked and can vary quite a bit each time.
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is being a hostess a good profession?
If you enjoy meeting different people and have a service-oriented attitude, being a hostess could be the right job for you. There are many different opportunities to work as a hostess and make your daily work routine more varied.
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is hosting difficult?
Anyone who possesses the basic qualities required for a hostess, such as friendliness, strong communication skills, a well-groomed appearance, and good manners, will not find the role difficult. Instead, they will comfortably and confidently fulfil the responsibilities of a host or hostess.
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do you need experience to become a hostess?
To become a hostess, you don't need any special qualifications. However, it’s definitely an advantage if you have previous experience in service, sales, or another customer-facing role.
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what requirements do I need to meet to become a hostess?
To become a hostess, your appearance is especially important: Do you have a neat, well-groomed look, are you articulate, helpful, and courteous? If so, there’s nothing standing in the way of you securing a position as a hostess. It’s also advantageous if you speak additional foreign languages besides fluent German, particularly English.
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how do I apply for a vacant position as a hostess?
Applying for a hostess position is very simple: create a Randstad profile and search our website for hostess job openings. Then, simply send us your CV and a personalised cover letter. If you need any assistance with your application, have a look at our tips for job hunting!
