Finding Housekeeping Jobs 101: A Step-by-Step Guide to Success
Are you considering a career in housekeeping, but unsure where to start? The world of professional cleaning and tidying offers an array of job opportunities that cater to various skillsets.
With the right approach, you can quickly turn your knack for organizing and maintaining homes into a rewarding profession. In this step-by-step guide, we will help you navigate through the different types of housekeeping positions available, essential skills to master, and effective methods to secure your dream job in this thriving industry.
Key Takeaways
- Housekeeping involves a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, ranging from cleaning to organizing and managing household affairs.
- There are different types of housekeeping positions, including hospital housekeepers, hotel housekeepers, executive housekeepers, and live-in housekeepers.
- Essential skills for success in the profession include attention to detail, schedule management, product and cleaning knowledge as well as principles for pet care and child care.
- To secure a job in this industry successfully requires networking with local professionals or agencies while keeping up-to-date on industry trends through forums or websites.
Learn More
Watch our special video below to find out more and get pro tips, helpful hints and strategies for success:
Understanding Housekeeping Jobs
Housekeeping involves tidying and cleaning tasks within a home or facility, but it's important to differentiate between a housekeeper who can perform various domestic duties versus a cleaner who is mainly responsible for cleaning.
What Is Housekeeping?
Housekeeping encompasses a wide range of tasks and responsibilities that revolve around maintaining and managing a household. At its core, housekeeping involves cleaning, organizing, and ensuring the overall smooth operation of a home or establishment.
In addition to these standard chores, housekeepers may also be responsible for more complex tasks such as maintaining calendars for appointments and events or even taking care of pets or children in some cases.
The ultimate goal is to create a comfortable living environment where everything is clean and organized, contributing to an enhanced quality of life for those who reside in the space.
The Difference Between A Housekeeper And A Cleaner
One of the primary distinctions between a housekeeper and a cleaner lies in their scope of responsibilities. A housekeeper takes charge of maintaining the overall cleanliness, organization, and wellbeing of a property, while a cleaner focuses specifically on cleaning tasks such as vacuuming or mopping floors.
For example, in hotels or healthcare facilities where housekeepers typically work alongside cleaners who specialize in specific tasks like sanitizing surfaces or deep-cleaning carpets.
Housekeepers oversee these additional duties to ensure that everything is well-maintained and organized. They may also involve themselves in certain cleaning jobs when necessary.
On the other hand, cleaners concentrate solely on executing their assigned tasks without taking charge of broader maintenance activities.
Common Housekeeping Duties
As a housekeeper, you will be expected to handle a variety of tasks to maintain the cleanliness and organization of your workplace. Common housekeeping duties include:
- Sweeping floors
- Dusting furniture and surfaces
- Cleaning and sanitizing kitchens and bathrooms
- Tidying rooms and vacuuming floors
- Making and changing beds
- Doing laundry, including washing, drying, folding, and ironing clothes
- Maintaining stocks of cleaning supplies
- Emptying trash cans regularly
- Washing dishes and cleaning up after meals
- Running errands for groceries or household maintenance items
- Paying bills and managing the household budget (for some positions)
- Organizing possessions to prevent clutter buildup
By mastering these common duties, you can ensure that your clients or employers always have an immaculate space to live or work in.
As you become more experienced, you may also take on additional responsibilities such as overseeing other staff members or managing special projects within the home or establishment.
Types Of Housekeeper Positions
There are various types of housekeeping positions, including hospital housekeeper, hotel housekeeper, executive housekeeper, and live-in housekeeper.
Hospital Housekeeper
A hospital housekeeper plays a crucial role in maintaining cleanliness and sanitation within a healthcare facility. They are responsible for cleaning common areas such as waiting rooms, hallways, and patient rooms.
This involves disinfecting surfaces, changing linens, restocking supplies, disposing of medical waste properly, and ensuring that the environment is safe for patients and staff alike.
It's essential to have excellent attention to detail when working as a hospital housekeeper to adhere to strict standards of hygiene and infection control.
Hospital housekeeping jobs can be found on job search websites such as Indeed.com or through local staffing agencies specializing in healthcare positions.
Hotel Housekeeper
Hotel housekeepers are responsible for ensuring that guest rooms are clean and comfortable.
They typically work in teams to maintain a high standard of cleanliness throughout the hotel, including front-of-house areas such as lobbies, hallways, and public restrooms.
Some of their duties include making beds, vacuuming floors and carpets, dusting furniture and fixtures, replacing towels and amenities, emptying trash cans, cleaning bathrooms thoroughly with disinfectants or sanitizers.
As per industry reports the average salary for a hotel housekeeper is $10-$12 per hour or $23k annually which varies based on location and experience level of the candidate.
Executive Housekeeper
Executive housekeepers are responsible for managing a team of cleaning staff and overseeing the day-to-day operations of housekeeping departments in various establishments, such as hotels or hospitals.
They have a managerial role and focus on ensuring that guests or patients receive high-quality service while maintaining cleanliness standards.
To be successful as an executive housekeeper, attention to detail is essential when creating checklists to ensure consistent quality services are delivered to guests or patients.
Additionally, they must be knowledgeable about organizing tasks efficiently and have excellent communication skills when delegating duties among their teams.
Live-in Housekeeper
One of the most sought-after positions in housekeeping is a live-in housekeeper. As the name suggests, live-in housekeepers reside where they work and manage all household duties.
These duties go beyond cleaning and tidying up to include cooking, grocery shopping, bill management, and even organizing possessions to prevent clutter. Live-in housekeepers are also responsible for overseeing other staff if present in the home.
The benefits of hiring a live-in housekeeper include avoiding expensive repairs that can arise from lack of maintenance and finding more time as an employer by delegating daily chores to someone else.
It may take some time to find a trustworthy live-in housekeeper that fits one's requirements since they become like family members over time with their tenure lasting years or even decades.
Essential Skills For Housekeepers
Housekeeping requires attention to detail, schedule management, product and cleaning knowledge, as well as principles for pet care and child care.
Attention To Detail
Attention to detail is a crucial skill for housekeepers seeking success in the profession. A great housekeeper should be able to notice when a house requires organization, rearrangement, or cleaning.
This skill is particularly essential in areas like hospitality management and private homes where the job may involve maintaining high standards of cleanliness and presentability at all times.
Being attentive can help you anticipate needs before they arise - from running household errands to keeping track of schedules.
In order to develop attention-to-detail skills, housekeepers must focus on thoroughness when carrying out duties such as laundry services, cleaning surfaces with sanitizers and dusting furniture.
Paying attention to little details can make a significant difference in how well received your efforts become by employers and clients alike. For instance, meticulously arranging pillows on guest beds or folding towels neatly into decorative shapes may seem small. But it serves as tangible evidence that one takes pride in good workmanship.
Schedule Management
An essential skill for housekeepers is schedule management. Housekeepers must be able to manage their own time efficiently and prioritize tasks based on the employer's needs.
They are responsible for creating a cleaning routine and sticking to it, ensuring that all areas of the home or establishment are cleaned thoroughly and regularly.
To stay organized, housekeepers often use tools like calendars, checklists, and reminder notes. The ability to multitask is also beneficial when handling multiple responsibilities throughout the day.
Good communication skills are important as well; housekeepers may need to update employers on their progress or alert them of any issues that arise during their duties.
Product Knowledge
As a housekeeper, having knowledge about different cleaning products is essential. It's not only important to know what product works best for specific materials and surfaces but also how to use them safely.
It's also crucial to have an understanding of guest amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, toothpaste/dental kits among others.
Proper maintenance of these items ensures that they are always available when the need arises while keeping the housekeeper knowledgeable on sourcing replacements for depleted stocks.
Cleaning Knowledge
A vital skill for any housekeeper is having a strong knowledge of cleaning principles. It involves understanding the right techniques, products, and equipment to use for different surfaces and stains.
For instance, using bleach on colored fabrics or certain hard surfaces can cause damage over time. A good housekeeper should know how to spot-clean certain areas such as carpets or upholstery and when to conduct deep-cleaning sessions.
As you apply for various kinds of housekeeping jobs from hotels to private residences, it's prudent to highlight your relevant skills for each position in your application cover letter or resume'.
Detailing your past experiences with various cleaning tasks could impress potential employers who are looking out for detail-oriented candidates who understand what it takes to go beyond 'superficial dirt-removal' but ensure no stain goes uncleaned.
Pet Care And Child Care Principles
Successful housekeepers need to have a range of skills, including pet care and child care principles. In addition to keeping the home clean and organized, some housekeeping jobs also require taking care of pets or children.
This could involve walking dogs, cleaning up after them, and ensuring they are fed on schedule. For child care duties, this may include understanding school schedules, preparing meals for kids, and providing basic supervision while parents are away.
It is important that housekeepers understand how best to manage their time when caring for pets or children while still completing other tasks required by their job. Having good communication with clients about scheduling needs will ensure that everyone's needs are met effectively.
How To Find Housekeeping Jobs: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to successfully find housekeeping jobs with this step-by-step guide that covers everything from pursuing further education to networking with local agencies and exploring private residences.
Pursue Further Education
If you're serious about building a career in housekeeping, it's important to pursue further education or training. This will not only make you more attractive as a job candidate but also help you improve your skills and stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices.
There are many educational opportunities available for aspiring housekeepers, from on-site training programs offered by hotels and other establishments to hospitality management courses at community colleges or vocational schools.
Having product knowledge, cleaning expertise, attention to detail, pet care principles, and child care principles are essential skills for housekeepers.
Pursuing further education or training can help develop these relevant skills even better while providing an opportunity to work with professionals who excel in their tasks.
Many employers prefer that their staff have formal qualifications in hospitality services such as certification from Pro Housekeepers .
Use Housekeeping Websites And Job Boards
One effective way to find housekeeping jobs is by using housekeeping websites and job boards. These online platforms provide a wide range of opportunities, from commercial housekeeping positions in hotels to private homes.
By creating a profile on these websites and listing all applicable skills and experience, job seekers can increase their chances of finding suitable employment. Applying for jobs through these portals can also help match specific skill sets and experience with potential employers.
It's important to use as many job-seeking sites as possible to maximize the likelihood of finding the perfect position.
Apply For Housekeeping Positions In Various Establishments
One of the most common ways to find housekeeping jobs is by applying for positions in various establishments. Hotels, hospitals, private residences, and office buildings are just a few examples of places that may hire housekeepers.
It's important to research potential employers before applying to ensure that they align with your values and work schedule. Crafting a well-written resume that highlights relevant experience and skills can increase your chances of getting hired.
Networking with local housekeepers or agencies in your area can provide helpful resources and connections for finding job opportunities.
Hiring a housekeeper can help save time on maintenance tasks like tidying, vacuuming, sanitizing kitchens and bathrooms, making beds, doing laundry or running errands such as grocery shopping or paying bills which leaves more room for personal activities.
Network With Local Housekeepers And Agencies
Networking with local housekeepers and agencies is an essential step in finding housekeeping jobs. It can be helpful to reach out to other professionals in the industry to learn about job openings that may not be publicly advertised.
Building relationships with these connections can also provide support, guidance, and a sense of community within the field. When approaching networking opportunities, it's important to maintain a professional and respectful attitude while being open-minded to learning from others.
Additionally, some housekeeping agencies offer training programs for their employees or place workers directly into positions with private homes or commercial establishments.
For example, John had been looking for a housekeeping job for months but was having no luck finding any leads online. Finally, he decided to attend a local networking event hosted by a professional association for housekeepers in his area.
There he met several experienced industry professionals who offered helpful advice on where he could find work, such as privately owned vacation rentals that needed regular cleaning services during peak seasons or private estates that required live-in domestic staff members year-round.
Explore Local Opportunities, Such As Private Residences
Looking for housekeeping jobs can involve exploring a range of opportunities, including private residences. Working in a private home can offer unique challenges and benefits. You will maintain the overall efficiency and cleanliness of the home while ensuring that possessions or collections are cared for properly.
Additionally, housekeepers may work alongside other staff members like gardeners and window cleaners to ensure the property is well-maintained. A housekeeper can also help with various maintenance chores that may get overlooked in day-to-day life.
They could assist with organizing possessions, budgeting and meal planning which ultimately frees up time by taking over cleaning responsibilities.
There are many advantages of employing a housekeeper in a private residence setting other than solely cleaning duties; thus finding qualified individuals who match one's preference may require due diligence while networking.
Tips For A Successful Housekeeping Career
Continuously improving your skills, maintaining a professional attitude, and keeping up-to-date with industry trends and best practices are just a few of the key factors that can lead to career success in housekeeping – read on for more tips!
Continuously Improve Your Skills
As a housekeeper, it is important to continuously improve your skills in order to stay competitive and advance your career. One way to do this is by attending workshops or taking online courses that focus on new cleaning techniques, time management strategies, and product knowledge.
Another way to improve your skills is by staying up-to-date with industry trends and best practices. For instance, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many households are now prioritizing thorough sanitization procedures.
So it may be helpful for housekeepers to invest in electrostatic sprayers which are effective tools for disinfecting surfaces quickly and efficiently.
Maintain A Professional Attitude
As a housekeeper, maintaining a professional attitude is essential to building good relationships with clients and employers. This means being reliable, punctual, and respectful of their space and possessions.
It also means communicating effectively with them, listening carefully to their needs, and following instructions precisely. A positive attitude goes a long way in creating trust between you and your employer or client.
It's important to remember that as a housekeeper, you are providing an essential service that helps people maintain order in their lives. You may be responsible for cleaning up after children or pets, managing schedules and budgets, preparing meals or running errands – all tasks that require attention to detail and flexibility.
Approaching these responsibilities with a proactive mindset,, rather than just going through the motions, will build rapport between you an your employee/employer even faster .
Keep Up-to-date With Industry Trends And Best Practices
It's essential for housekeeping professionals to stay current with the latest industry trends and best practices in order to provide high-quality service and stand out from competitors.
This means keeping up-to-date with new cleaning products, equipment, and techniques as well as staying informed about any changes in childcare principles or safety guidelines.
One way to do this is by attending conferences or workshops focused on hospitality management or housekeeping strategy. Another option is to join online forums or communities where experts share tips and tricks and answer questions from fellow professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What’s the best way to find a high-paying job I can do from anywhere?
A. We recommend you sign up for remote job alerts (free) to get notified of new work-from-home jobs matched to your needs.
Q: What is the first step in finding a housekeeping job?
A: The first step is to search for available housekeeping jobs in your preferred location using online job boards.
Q: How can I filter my search results?
A: You can filter your search results by category, making it easier to find the right job that fits your skills and qualifications.
Q: How do I select a category?
A: Once you have searched for available housekeeping jobs, you can select a category from the list of options provided to narrow down your search results.
Q: How do I apply for a job?
A: Once you have found a housekeeping job that interests you, click on the job posting to read its details and apply. You may be required to sign up and create an account to apply for the job.
Q: Can I search for available job openings by company?
A: Yes, you can search for available job openings by company or search by category to find a list of available positions.
Q: How can joining a housekeeping team benefit me?
A: Joining a housekeeping team can benefit you in many ways. You can gain valuable work experience, improve your job skills, meet new people, and potentially earn a higher salary.
Q: What should I do if I encounter a problem during the application process?
A: If you encounter a problem during the application process, you can contact the company's support team to get assistance with your application or to resolve any issues.
Q: What are some details I should pay attention to when applying for a housekeeping job?
A: Pay attention to details such as job responsibilities, required qualifications, work schedule, pay rate, and benefits offered by the company to determine if the job is a good fit for you.
Q: Is there a way to search for available housekeeping jobs worldwide?
A: Yes, you can search for available housekeeping jobs worldwide by using online job boards or by directly searching for housekeeping jobs on individual company websites.
Q: Can I really make a million from a housekeeping job?
A: While it is highly unlikely to make a million from a housekeeping job alone, some companies may offer opportunities for career advancement and higher earning potential over time.
A Fulfilling Career
In conclusion, finding a housekeeping job can be a fulfilling and lucrative career path. Whether you're looking for work in a hospital or hotel, as an executive or live-in housekeeper, there are many opportunities available.
By following the step-by-step guide we've provided and honing your essential skills like attention to detail, schedule management, and cleaning knowledge, you'll increase your chances of success.
Remember to network with local professionals and agencies while keeping up-to-date on industry trends through forums and websites.
Crystal Rose is a spirited digital nomad and lifestyle blogger, advocating for remote work and independent living. A bold dream chaser, Crystal swapped the traditional 9-5 grind for a laptop and a worldwide adventure. She passionately shares her insights on work-life balance, productivity, and travel through her blog. Known for her feisty writing and honest advice, she empowers readers to embrace freedom and create their own dream life.
