Available F&B Jobs To Help Candidates Cope With COVID-19

The COVID-19 effect on the food and beverage industry

Amid the coronavirus crisis, F&B jobs are still available across Southeast Asia.

As countries in Southeast Asia eases on quarantine restrictions, it is anticipated for the economy to bounce back soon. If COVID-19 infection rates remain low, most businesses in the F&B industry will be allowed to reoperate by the end of June.

However, the F&B industry has already taken a hard hit due to the pandemic. Many businesses have had to close. Most owners have been forced to retrench employees. Some employees have suffered pay cuts and forced leaves. With alarming news swarming the industry, it may seem like all hope is lost for F&B candidates.

On the bright side, we are seeing more than a handful of F&B jobs that are still available across Southeast Asia. In this article, we tackle the most in-demand positions in the F&B industry right now. We also talk about the up-and-coming skills F&B candidates can build to polish their resumes. If you are planning to jumpstart a career in the food and beverage industry, read on to learn more.

(Also read: Overcoming the challenges of job search amid COVID-19)

Available jobs in the F&B industry in Southeast Asia

The region sees a steady movement in the food and beverage industry.

Data from JobStreet show that job ads under the food and beverage industry come and go. Over the past month, over 300 F&B jobs have opened for candidates in Singapore. Most positions are full-time in nature. You can also find part-time opportunities and contractual F&B jobs here. 

Across Southeast Asia, the same trends can be observed. With the situation now, several companies are urgently hiring. Most job openings are filled immediately; then again, new postings appear on a daily basis. Make sure to subscribe to JobStreet to get alerts every time there is a new opening.

Most in-demand jobs in the food and beverage industry

As the F&B industry seeks ways to thrive in the new normal, more job openings arise.

In April 2020, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) released a study about the Asian economy amid coronavirus. It affirmed that "businesses, particularly the food and beverage sector, have turned to digital as a way of adjusting to the social distancing and lockdown measures."

Further, the regional economic forum saw an increased demand for delivery platforms since COVID-19. "The food delivery platform, Deliveroo, has seen an 80 per cent increase in rider applications in the early months of 2020 and has added over 1,000 riders to the fleet in April so far.

Anticipating the ease of quarantine restrictions, a number of restaurants have recently opened. However, in light of the new social distancing norm, most eateries have acknowledged that they cannot survive on a dine-in business alone. Reports confirm that most F&B companies have resorted to takeaway and food delivery options—paving the way to more F&B jobs in the service department.

F&B jobs in the service department

Because restaurants have been starting delivery services, there has been an increasing demand for food delivery riders.

As a result of companies paying more attention to proper sanitation, housekeepers and dishwashers are also much more in-demand. Some employers have also opened part-time jobs for temperature screening staff.

F&B jobs in the kitchen department

Among the available F&B jobs, most are for cooks and chefs. Openings for restaurant managers, supervisors, and operation executives are also emerging. Given that COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of proper nourishment, dieticians and nutritionists have also gotten more attention lately.

Up-and-coming skills in the F&B industry

We are seeing potential shifts in the business activities of the F&B industry. During the coronavirus outbreak, some F&B sectors have been thriving ” including groceries and e-restaurants. Food Navigator Asia also reported that experts found consumer trends "to skew heavily towards foods and beverages that are related to immunity and DIY preparations."

These uprising trends in the food and beverage industry show that businesses are now transitioning towards the new normal. With that, candidates will have to polish a new set of skills to keep themselves relevant.

Social-media-savviness

While a number of restaurants have closed down, there has been a rise of new F&B businesses that solely thrive on online services. Overly Cheezy Pizzeria Founder Kenny Wong told Marketing Interactive that they "chose to focus on online selling as delivery services are flourishing during this period." The pizza takeaway service launched its own website as a delivery channel to cater to its customers.

With more F&B businesses requiring digital visibility, a social-media-savvy candidate will surely have an advantage in the industry. More employers will seek candidates who can communicate with customers online and can follow and quickly adopt social media marketing trends.

Adaptable and flexible

On 4 June 2020, Channel News Asia reported about an expanded government programme in Singapore that encourages business owners to adopt digital solutions such as an online shopfront or an e-commerce platform. With this initiative, Singapore anticipates that more F&B businesses will start utilising online ordering, e-invoicing, inventory management, and e-payments.

While the food and beverage industry is mostly striving to beat the COVID-19 crisis, employers expect F&B candidates to be more adaptable and flexible. Employees will have to quickly learn the ropes to the latest tools available.

Creativity and innovation

In a rapidly changing environment, candidates who are creative and innovative certainly have an edge in the market. Employers are now seeking new ways to promote their businesses and engage their customers.

Because many businesses are competing for attention online, the F&B market has become highly saturated with trendy cuisine. F&B consultant and advisor Manjit Gill forecasts that the pandemic will bring back the demand for culinary traditions that showcase authenticity by means of culture and heritage. Since the supply of international ingredients has become scarce because of the pandemic, employers will also be likely to favour candidates who can execute local specialty food.

The pandemic has pushed the food and beverage industry in Southeast Asia to evolve quickly. Now that the world sees the vital role this industry plays, job vacancies are most likely to increase in the coming days. These new times are seen to create a bigger demand for flexible and agile workers in the field.

As a steadfast partner to employers and candidates, JobStreet has launched the campaign #TogetherAhead, with a specially set up COVID-19 Jobs and Resource Hub to offer guidance to both businesses and individuals through this crucial time.

By connecting candidates with over 48,000 employers in Singapore, Jobstreet puts into action its strong conviction: that #TogetherAhead, we rise above our challenges.