I have been in the Hospitality industry for 35 years, specifically in Banquets.

14 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 25,2025 at 10:34PM UTC

   Question is have you had interviews? Did you bring your best? Did you reference your age? Were you open to new ideas or did you bring any to the interview. There are many in hospitality that are older as I’ve worked around them. Depends on where you live. Look at hotels, conference centers, your local zoo, event spaces, bartending services, colleges also have event staff and also food services. Search every avenue.

2. AnonymousMay 26,2025 at 6:39AM UTC

   I would suggest you start looking at a different side of this work. Actually serving or being a captain or bartender will likely go to younger workers. I would move to the office booking events, event planning and staffing. Your experience will serve you well in that capacity and leave the more physical aspects to the less experienced and younger workers. It is ageism but also based on physical stamina. Service work like construction is really not a long term career unless you make moves to the business side as you age. You have to build a career and not stay on the front lines or you'll find yourself with any options.
   I'm sorry you are faced with an aging factor. But planning to stay employable requires adjusting to that physical element in your choice of jobs.

   In college you don't think age will ever become a factor but it catches up to you I'm service work as you age.

   You also must notice that Banquets are not the cash cow they were 15 or 20 years ago. So there is less work available. Another reason the shrinking workforce is focused on hiring only certain workers over others.

3. Shoaib AliMay 26,2025 at 4:35PM UTC

   Yes I can help you

4. AnonymousMay 27,2025 at 8:40PM UTC

   Then reply to everyone here unless you’re trying to sell your services this platform is a shared one.

5. Joan SekJune 18,2025 at 3:01PM UTC

   I would love your help, Thank you!

6. LauraMay 26,2025 at 6:07PM UTC

   First of all, sorry you're having such difficulties! What types of positions are you applying for within the industry? With 35 years of experience, you definitely have knowledge that would be valuable in the "back of house" - scheduling, planning, training, etc. It may be a matter of updating your resume to reflect that if currently doesn't. Also you mentioned, you can't get hired. Are you landing interviews and not getting offers or are you not even getting call backs from your resume?

7. Joan SekMay 26,2025 at 7:53PM UTC

   Hi Laura, I have experience as a Banquet Captain and a server. I have updated my resume, I have had a couple of interviews .

8. AnonymousMay 26,2025 at 6:35PM UTC

   If you are looking at banquet management that's one thing but if you are actually still working in Banquets as a server that's quite another.

   There's a reason why college students do the worker jobs. Those jobs are not necessarily long term careers. Ageism is rampant for that very reason. Physical demands and lack of an actual career path reduce those jobs to shift work and an hourly job force.

9. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMay 27,2025 at 11:53PM UTC

   I find this to be a rather insulting comment.

   The OP can look for whatever kind of position best suits her.

   Maybe she WANTS or NEEDS shift work. Maybe she's not looking for an "actual career path".

   If she's has been doing this job for 35 years, I'm pretty sure she is familiar with the physical demands of the position.

   What, specifically, is wrong with shift work or an hourly job?

10. Joan SekMay 30,2025 at 6:06PM UTC

    Hello Joan, your comments are spot on, I only want shift work, Banquets are my passion, I work part time in a restaurant with 30 year olds and I can run circles around them! I’m never sick! It’s frustrating that companies don’t appreciate my experience. I’m Joan also!!

11. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 1,2025 at 5:43PM UTC

    Hi Joan - then you do you! Good luck in your search!!

12. AnonymousMay 27,2025 at 1:17AM UTC

    I’m sorry to hear this, but as for your age there are servers who been at one of the oldest and biggest restaurants in my town for 40 years. And they can keep going I’m sure you can.

13. GirlBossanova934974May 27,2025 at 1:05PM UTC

    2 key pieces of information are missing here. A) Are you still applying to the banquet industry? B) What sorts of positions are you applying for? For simplicity's sake, let's assume you are applying for management roles in the banquet industry. RULE #1: Any position beyond 2010 goes off your resume. RULE #2: Any graduation dates on education go off your resume. Anything that might remotely reveal your age goes. Last, you may wish to spend $125 on a company called DeleteMe. DeleteMe deletes your name off all public info websites like whitepages.com. All of these public sites hae a bad tendency to advertise your age. You want this gone!

14. Joan SekMay 27,2025 at 5:25PM UTC

    Thank you so much for this information!