It's hard work, but a career in hospitality is rewarding

And what amazing bartenders they were — cheerful, chatty, yet at the same time skilful and speedy — taking a real pride in their work. For them, a career in hospitality was something to be proud of and in which to excel.

Compare that attitude with the sentiment expressed by British youngsters in a survey by Livebookings last week. Nearly half of the 16 to 24-year-olds questioned said they would not consider a career in hospitality, claiming it would be boring and repetitive. They’d prefer an “office environment with modern technology” to make the most of their internet and social-media skills.

Sadly, social-media skills don’t equate to actual social skills of the kind demonstrated by my resort barmen and other high-quality hospitality professionals. Typing a smiley face in txt msgs isn’t the same as actually wearing a smiley face; poking someone on Facebook isn’t the same as being attentive and making proper eye contact; and attracting ‘likes’ online isn’t the same as being likeable in person.

I’m pretty confident most pub licensees would reject the vast majority of this generation of youngsters who spurn the very thought of employment in our industry before even giving it a try. We’ve all experienced sullen, world-owes-me-a-living interviewees, who fail to realise they need to impress with their personalities, language and arithmetic, as well as their CVs and their ‘computer skills’.

Not everyone is cut out for a career in pubs and bars. Most people lack the character, the passion, the wit and wisdom, the work ethic and the multi-tasking abilities required. We should recognise and celebrate the unique abilities of those with the will and the drive to make a success of the job of true, business-building hospitality — what the team at Peach Pubs calls ‘peachiness’.

That’s partly why we are so pleased to introduce a new feature in the PMA. Our BII Apprenticeship Diary will, over the coming months, follow the fortunes of three high-potential recruits as they negotiate their way through industry induction and training with a view to forging their own careers in the trade.

These youngsters are lucky enough to be in the employ of the current BII Licensee of the Year, Mahdis Neghabian — herself a shining example of what a clever, imaginative person can achieve in this business. It’s a shame those Livebookings survey respondents won’t get to experience that sort of inspiration in their exciting and non-repetitive office environments.