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Butler
Household manager
Butlers carry out personal and household tasks for their employers.
Average salary (a year)
£15000
Starter
£50000
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
40.0 to 45.0 hours
variable
Work Hours
evenings / weekends / bank holidays
flexibly
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You could get into this job through:applying directly; specialist courses run by private training organisations
Direct Application
You can apply for work directly or through a housekeeping agency if you have
experience of the hospitality or personal services industries, the ability to speak a second language, if you're looking to work with clients whose first language is not English
experience of the hospitality or personal services industries, the ability to speak a second language, if you're looking to work with clients whose first language is not English
Other Routes
You can get a qualification in butler skills which may improve your employment chances. There are private courses that teach traditional and modern professional butler skills, like
valeting, including clothing and shoe care, setting a formal dining table and providing a waiting service, social and dining etiquette, international etiquette and protocols, confidence and deportment
valeting, including clothing and shoe care, setting a formal dining table and providing a waiting service, social and dining etiquette, international etiquette and protocols, confidence and deportment
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
Excellent verbal communication skills
Active listening skills
Customer service skills
Sensitivity and understanding
Leadership skills
Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
The ability to work well with others
Concentration skills
Digital Skills Level
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Day to day tasks
In this role you could
manage diary appointments, book restaurants and travel, represent your client at meetings, manage the household and staff, set formal dining tables and serve food and drinks, chauffeur your client to appointments, look after guests, manage a wine cellar, cook and prepare meals, take care of pets, organise activities on country estates
manage diary appointments, book restaurants and travel, represent your client at meetings, manage the household and staff, set formal dining tables and serve food and drinks, chauffeur your client to appointments, look after guests, manage a wine cellar, cook and prepare meals, take care of pets, organise activities on country estates
Working environment
You could work at a client's home, in a hotel or on a cruise ship.
You may need to wear a uniform.
With experience you could become a head butler and supervise and train people new to the role.
Once you have a wide range of experience and contacts in the industry, you could look at setting up your own business, like a butler training school or a butler recruitment agency.
Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
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