Do you know how to become a private chauffeur? If you are looking into a career as a chauffeur, definitely consider private chauffeuring work. It can be a great, fun and rewarding career choice for you for many years to come. But whether you are completely new to the trade, or have done some chauffeuring work already. It can be difficult to understand how to become a private chauffeur. Until now. Simply follow this guide and find your new dream job!
What Is A Private Chauffeur?
A private chauffeur is a chauffeur who solely works for a private, domestic household. That does not automatically mean a family. It couple be just one principal. Or a couple. And of course, it could also be a full family with children. The main difference is not necessarily in the set-up of the household. The difference lies in the fact that you are not working for a corporate firm, but directly working for this household or Principal. They might have their contracts running through their company. But whereas in a corporate chauffeuring role, you might be assigned a new client to work for. Here you work directly for one household, family or principal. Even though you might sometimes be driving around guests, visitors or relatives. Your overal focus and employer is the household.
If you come from a corporate background, you might have private chauffeuring experience to a certain extend already. You might have worked for only a select group of people – the board of directors, for example. Or perhaps you were the chauffeur at the company’s disposal. Meaning that anyone from the company could use your chauffeuring services when needed. This way you already get an insight into what it’s like to work as a private chauffeur.
In a private chauffeur role, you will only work for the household or family directly. That doesn’t necessarily make the actual work much different from a corporate chauffeuring role. You will likely be doing trips to and from work, to and from the airport, etc. But a private chauffeur might also work for the other family members, and take care of the cars on the family grounds too. You might be running personal errands too, working with children and pets. You will therefore have a much closer relationship with your Principal and family. In comparison to a corporate chauffeuring role.
New To The Industry
If you are completely new to any chauffeuring roles, it can feel challenging knowing where to get started. But when you break it down, you can start making a plan. So when you are looking at how to become a private chauffeur, start looking at the basics.
First, it is of course an absolute must to have a clean driving licence. You should not have any points on your licence, any history of driving issues, speeding tickets or driving bans. As a chauffeur, you should also have a good couple of years of experience driving already. Both in big cities like London (if you are applying for a UK based position) as well as in the countryside.
You should be able to confidently drive both automatic and manual cars, know your cars and drive in a smooth, confident way. Your passengers should feel relaxed in your car. Able to do work, take phone calls, have breakfast. So your driving style should suit that.
Having no experience can be tough, but remember even the most experienced chauffeurs had to start somewhere! Doing a chauffeuring training course can be a good thing to invest in, as well as security driving if this interests you too. Having experience as a taxi driver can already be a good start as an absolute beginner. This way you can climb up the ranks in becoming a more exclusive or more corporate driver. And once you have a good couple of years of corporate chauffeuring under your belt – you can start applying for private chauffeuring roles!
Register with Agencies
The next step in your journey in how to become a chauffeur is to apply for actual jobs. Your CV or resume is the gateway to your new job – so make sure your CV is up to date and looks professional. Even if you have had a career break at any point, it should be listed on your CV with a clear understanding of what you did during this break. You can download our template CV/resume here. Remember to include a nice photo, and a way to choose a great photo is here.
The next step is to register with suitable recruitment agencies. Agencies can be of great help in finding you a job that would not be advertised independently. Generally, recruitment agencies have better jobs, and they can help you in the application process too! There are now lots of agencies, job sites, and other routes you can go through in order to find your next job. Public job sites such as Indeed and Gumtree are a great way to find new chauffeur jobs, but again you don’t know where your data will actually end up – so be vigilant. The safest way for you to find a job is to go via a trusted and reputable agency. They will normally have longstanding relationships with clients and will be able to find a job that really suits you.
How can Polo & Tweed help?
If you are looking at how to become a private chauffeur, Polo & Tweed can help. Our experienced recruitment consultants can guide you in the right direction. Whether you are just sarting out and looking for advice. Or if you are ready to find your next private chauffeur dream job! So why not get in touch with us now and we would be delighted to start your private chauffeuring career today!