Role: General Manager
Company: Dukes at Queens
Track Record:
Pauline McCullough used her previous roles to help develop her skill set until she was certain of her career path.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I held several business development roles before becoming a general manager within a dental group. I started my new job as general manager in Dukes at Queens in October, having previously worked at Tara Lodge for three years in the roles of front office manager and general manager.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I loved art and even today I find that studying History of Art gave me a different appreciation of the world.
Did you go on to further/ higher education, if so what did you study and where?
I studied Art & Design at Ulster University in Derry/ Londonderry.
How did you get into your area of work?
I had a very broad range of transferable skills. I recognised that I was happiest in a customer focused environment and it was where I excelled. When the job of front office manager came up at Tara Lodge, I had all the skills but no hospitality experience. I applied, got the position, and with the support of a wonderful manager and mentor I began learning every intricate detail about running a successful hotel. Tara Lodge recently won the team category at the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation ‘Hotel Reception of the Year 2016’ annual awards and it was fantastic. Now that I’m in my new role at Dukes at Queens I can’t wait to apply my skills and expertise.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
It’s only in the past few years that I have been 100% sure of what I want to do. In each and every one of my previous jobs I gained competencies which accumulated in the perfect skill set for my current role.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
I had a combination of strong communication, organisational and management skills. In my current role you need a strong sense of professionalism, a willingness to go above and beyond to provide excellent customer service and an ability to anticipate the needs of people.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
There is the traditional route of gaining qualifications specific to the hospitality sector.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
Having confidence in yourself and your decisions and empowering the team to do the same. I have to be organised and be able to see the big picture whilst managing the small details.
What does a typical day entail?
I’m usually in for around 8am. I go to reception to check that there are no issues from the day before and then I’ll head into the office and start reading online reviews. My next task is to update occupancy levels as this affects everything: staff levels, rates and online availability. The remainder of the day I can be found working on anything from marketing and revenue management, to ordering, managing budgets and controlling expenditure. Room and property inspections and keeping on top of maintenance is a constant consideration, though interacting with guests is still my favourite part of the job.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
Knowing that you’ve made every possible effort to ensure a guest’s stay is the best it can possibly be. The team at Dukes at Queens is genuine, charismatic and professional. The most challenging aspect of the role is the battle with online travel agents.
Why is what you do important?
The world famous welcome visitors receive here is an integral part of our tourism offering. Organisations such as the NI Hotels Federation, Tourism Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland have worked tirelessly to raise our profile as a credible tourist destination and they do a brilliant job. It’s up to the hospitality industry not to drop the ball. Going by our guests’ feedback, they’re having a great time!
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
If you don’t have a genuine desire to help people this is not the industry for you. The opportunity to develop professionally and personally in hospitality is endless. I can recommend it wholeheartedly.
If you weren’t doing this what would you like to do?
I’m very much a people person. I love to be around others and work in a team so hospitality fits my personality.
If you could go back, what is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
You don’t need to know everything in the first week, calm down.
What’s the best careers’ advice you’ve ever been given?
It was to read the book ‘Feel the Fear and do it Anyway’ by Susan Jeffers. The book puts everyday fears that hold us back into perspective. Faced with something new I always had thoughts of ‘but what if I can’t do it?’ The fear of failing stopped me from attempting many things up to that point, in my professional and personal life. The book taught me that if I continued to think like this I would greatly limit myself. Reading the book doesn’t take fear out of a situation, but teaches you to tackle it, head on. I now have trust in my abilities and I love trying something new and stepping out of my comfort zone, in fact it’s where I’m at my best.
Describe your ideal day off.
Anything at all that means I can completely switch off, whether it’s catching up with friends and family or simply curling up on the couch, I’m happy.