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Catering Manager Career Interview
Steve Sleczka is the catering manager of the Union League Club of Chicago, ranked the #1 city club in America by Club Leaders Forum in 2009, where he designs events for the clients of the club. He has been in the catering management business for over 20 years.
Q: What is your background?
A: I got my degree in business administration management from Chicago State University, which isn’t a typical school for that. Most of my experience falls under caterer and caterer manager; I started catering events and that segued into creating the events. I worked as a caterer for 10 years until I got my first catering manager job at the Holiday Inn in Evanston in 1989. I’ve been in catering management ever since.
Q: How did you choose a catering management career?
A: I sort of fell into it. My grandfather was a chef and his own catering business, and my dad was a chef. I worked in a banquet hall when I was 12 and stayed there for seven years. I pursued the business side of it in college because I loved it.
Q: What is your job description?
A: Catering Sales Manager: I sell and create events that can hold from 2-500 people for meetings, weddings, etc., at the Union League Club of Chicago.
Q: What is a normal day for you?
I answer inquiries and create paperwork/proposals for events. I handle appointments at the club, such as showing it to clients. I also act as the liaison between the club and the client: I handle the accounting with them, make sure everything is how they want it to be, follow up with them, and basically walk them through everything from beginning to end.
Q: What kind of education is necessary for a career in Catering Management or Hospitality?
A: You should have at least a Bachelor’s degree in marketing or management. Food and service knowledge is key as well. You should know how everything works in the industry; the further you climb, the more you’ll need to know in order to sell your product.
Q: What does it take to be successful in the field of Catering Management?
A: Flexibility, creativity, and dedication are necessary because this industry is always changing and you have to change with it. You also really have to love it especially now because clients are watching every penny and making sure that everything is exactly how they want it. You used to be able to tell them what is necessary for the event, but now you have to follow everything exactly as they want it.
Q: What is your dream job?
A: I actually already had it: catering manager of The Drake Hotel in Chicago. That is the epitome of hotel management. To work at a five-star property with a legendary reputation is the pinnacle of our field, and The Drake is exactly that. It didn’t pay as much as other jobs I’ve had, but the prestige that went with it was incredible.
Q: What advice can you offer to students pursuing a Hospitality degree?
A: If you like what you’re doing, find a way to get into the field. I waited on tables, worked as a banquet captain, and did a lot of other grunt work to get to where I am now. You have to work around, but if you love it, you just have to focus on where you need to go. You can’t just expect to get a job after you graduate. Some networking is necessary as well because everyone knows each other in this industry.
Q: Is catering management a hard field to get into?
A: A lot of people want to become catering managers. That’s because they think that planning parties are fun and because they’ve seen the movie The Wedding Planner. It’s a lot more work than it seems. People see a lot of glamour in the job, but it isn’t always true. If you love it, though, you do it.
Q: What is a good school to go to become a catering manger?
A: You really need a business degree for this industry, and for that, you don’t really need to go to a really expensive school. The money that you’ll get from catering manger won’t make up for all the money for that schooling; this just isn’t that kind of industry. Maybe later on you’ll make more, but starting off, you just aren’t going to get that money back.
Q: Any last words of wisdom for a prospective student?
A: Get into the industry if you love it. I like what I do, and the clients can see that. I get many of my clients because of my enthusiasm for my job. So if you love it, you can endure the rough patches in working your way up. When my job stops being fun, I will go do something else. So hopefully this stays fun forever. If you have no parts of this job that are fun for you, don’t do it.
