Public house manager : Employers and vacancy sources

The licensed retail industry is a large employer and there are around 52,000 public houses in the UK.

Traditionally, this industry has not been a major employer of graduates in pub management roles, but this is now changing significantly. As the industry becomes increasingly competitive, opportunities for ambitious, enthusiastic graduates with a keen interest in developing a successful business have grown. With the focus of a pub's success shifting from 'the site' to 'the manager', a new breed of pub manager has emerged. Improved career routes, training opportunities and benefits offered by the big companies mean that graduates are recognising licensed retailing as a real career, rather than just a stop-gap job or a necessary step towards a career on the corporate side of the business.

Some public house managers are self-employed, while others are employed by a national or regional brewer or an independent pub company. Examples of these employers are:

• very large, sometimes multinational, companies such as Whitbread, Scottish & Newcastle and Mitchells & Butlers (and their individual brands, such as O'Neills);
• well-established regional brewers, such as Marstons, Brains, Adnams and Shepherd Neame;
• fast-growing national chains, such as Pitcher and Piano, and Slug and Lettuce.

Many of these offer management training programmes and an increasing number offer training schemes specifically aimed at graduates.

The two largest pub companies in the UK are Punch Taverns and Enterprise Inns, which each own over 6,000 sites.

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• Barzone  
• Caterer.com  
• Caterer Global  - for international vacancies.  
• Caterer & Hotelkeeper
• Hcareers  
• Leisurejobs.net  
• Pub Experts Guide  - has a directory of pub companies you can use for contact details.
• The Publican
• UK Skills Council (UKSP)  
• Company websites - you can often apply online.
• Local and national press.

Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.