Daniel is at the top of his game
LEISURE is a growing industry. Fitness centres, spas, entertainment complexes and theme parks are all looking for staff with customer service skills.
Daniel Gascoigne started his leisure career in 2010 after a spell as a semi- pro footballer.
He is now general manager of Escape Hunt Leeds, a purposebuilt venue which offers the chance to work your way round a series of themed rooms by cracking codes and solving puzzles.
‘When my football career didn’t work out I went into the fitness sector as a membership consultant. Within ten months of starting in the industry I was an assistant general manager and after couple of job changes, a centre manager,’ says Daniel.
A few years later he decided to explore a new avenue with Escape Hunt.
‘It’s great seeing new customers arrive feeling apprehensive and being transformed into enthusiasts who can’t wait to come back,’ says Daniel. ‘Working with my team I must ensure that the quality of the experience and the hospitality is high, so we get consistent fivestar reviews.
If you do that well in the leisure industry, growth comes naturally, so there is no overt selling.’
The variety of careers in leisure is vast, and can offer international opportunities, but hours can be long and sometimes unsocial. Pay for managers can reach £30,000-plus.
For vacancies see leisureopportunities.co.uk; merlincareers.com, corecruitment.com and escapehunt.com.