So you want to be a pub manager?
Managing a pub can be an enjoyable career, but it takes a certain type of person do to it well. In a job that mainly involves working with people, an employer will usually be looking first and foremost for the right kind of personality. You need to like people, and to know how to talk to them, but you also need to know how to handle those punters who have had a bit too much to drink, as well as work well with the rest of the pub staff.
Can you do all this? If you are sure you can then it may be advisable to buy trade publications or to look for on-line websites such as Find Me A Pub. This has a recruitment section and will advertise any pub management jobs available. However, if you have little experience in the sector and want to work your way up, most seasoned bar managers would suggest you get a weekend job in a pub to test the waters. If you’re lucky you will find a good pub where they will teach you aspects of the job such as cellar care or management. If you find, after the long hours of hard graft expected of a bartender, that this is still where you want to be then it may be time to look for a full-time position.
Most bar workers will tell you that the best way to train in this career is on-the-job. The skills you will learn behind a bar include stocktaking, handling deliveries, liaising with kitchen staff if necessary or dealing with difficult customers. If you feel it would benefit you, however, there are bartending classes out there which can give you the basic grounding necessary to increase your confidence and get you off to the best possible start.
As you work your way up, it’s a good idea to get experience in a range of different pubs, bars, clubs or even hotels. This means that when you finally do land one of those sought-after pub management jobs you really will have prepared for anything and will be able to train and motivate you staff with the benefit of all this experience.
In short, pub management is more of a way of life than a job. It can be draining, yes, and get used to standing on your feet because you’ll be doing a lot of it. However, it’s also a great way to meet people and if you’re the kind of person who runs screaming from the thought of an office job it’s certainly worth some consideration. Also, whilst the pay for a novice bartender may not be princely, bear in mind that if you really have a flair for this kind of work some pub managers in the UK, for example in London, can earn up to £45,000 per annum. There are also many different branches of the hospitality industry open to you if you decide to branch out a little, as this kind of experience really does translate. A way of life, then, but certainly a rewarding one in many ways.
It takes a certain type of person to be a good pub manager, but if you have the necessary skills it can be a reward career. The kind of experience you gain from bar work can also allow you to branch out into other sectors of the hospitality industry.
