Five things I wish I knew about working in a UK Pub...
You're thinking about that UK Working Holiday Visa and wondering about working in a UK Pub......
1. It’s not like Coronation Street or Cheers or Maclaren’s...
Each pub has its own unique character and charm influenced by who works there and who drinks there. Keep an open mind about the pub and fully embrace the character of your placement pub!
2. Brits LOVE their sport at the pub...
This is not a bad thing, because Aussie’s and Kiwi’s love their sport too but I was surprised at how many sports fans would come to the pub to watch the game, and I’m talking about normal, regular season soccer (ah-hem, sorry football) games. The World Cup is an entirely different thing which is awesome to see and a great chance to make tips!
3. Having Roommates isn't easy, but it's worth it...
Having roommates means you need to be mindful and respectful of the shared space. I had never had a roommate before, nor had I been a roommate before. It turned out that my roommate was really grumpy in the morning and I found it best to wait until she had had her morning coffee before talking to her. Apparently my “chipper morning attitude” was too much for her first up (she told me that). I could handle that. At least she was tidy! “Be the roommate you would like to have” is a good motto to adopt. No one wants to share a small space with a slob so be sure to keep your things to your side of the room and hopefully, your roommate will do the same!
4. Sharing laundry facilities can be tricky....
Well now I realise how good I had it a Mum and Dad’s! Gone were the days when I could leisurely stop by the laundry room, find the machine available and put on a load of laundry, go out and come back to find my laundry hanging to dry on the line for me (thanks Dad!). Sharing laundry facilities with a bunch of people requires patience and in some cases, a schedule or a sign-up sheet. Eventually it becomes a normal chore but I remember when I first needed to do laundry and the machine was in use so I left and come back again to find that someone else was turning on the machine to do their load! There were several people needing access to that washer and dryer. We found that the assignment of laundry days helped a lot!
5. Plan your day off to make the most of it...
When I was living my normal life in Brisbane, I worked on my work days and planned my days off on my days off. What I mean by that is I didn’t really make any plans ahead of time; it was just “what do I feel like doing today?” and of course, there are obvious reasons for that (having a car for one thing, and a long list of friends to see etc) so when it came to my days off in the UK, I found it was beneficial to plan ahead to really make the most of them! When I first started working, I would use my days off to go into London and explore the city. The train station was a short bus ride away and the train to London was less than an hour; which was great because I loved the train! Planning ahead enabled me to squeeze in as much as could in each visit. Then I would come back home to the pub and tell my workmates what I had seen and I would get ideas from them as well for next time.