I've been working at a pub for a year. It started out as part time work to see me through college, then, when college ended I fell into doing it full time. Since then I've been promoted to head barman, with promises of a pay rise and further promotion to Bar Manager within 2 months... neither has happened. So I've been getting a bit sick of it, working evenings, losing entire weekends, so I started looking around for other jobs. I found one in the paper working for Vauxhall as a salesman, and much to my surprise, I've just been offered the job today. The money is better, but not brilliant, but with comission has the potential to be good. I would also get a company car.

The problem is, some of the people at my current job are my best mates. 50% of the time I love working there just because I'm working with my bezzies. And I'm good mates with all the regulars. The thing is, the other 50% of the time I hate it, because I hate working Friday nights and all weekend. And I really don't want to be working on christmas eve. My boss at the pub is brilliant aswell, the best boss I've ever had. But at the end of the day I'm pretty much doing the job of assistant manager, and I'm on minimum wage... a lot is expected of me for less money than I was earning when I was fresh out of school.

Also, with this new job, I would have to work every Saturday and every other Sunday... so I still don't get my weekends back, but I wouldn't have to work evenings. Plus, normal hours are 8.30 - 6, which will definitely come as a shock to the system after doing pub hours, 11-6 and 6- close. So I don't even know if I would be able to keep it up. And I would have to wear a suit. And I would be the youngest one there. And I would go from a position of authority where I am to being the new boy who knows nothing at his new job. And I get the feeling that none of the people at this new job would be out-of-work-mate material. So I don't know how happy I would be. I really do need the money though because I'm in a fair amount of debt, and the car is a bonus.

So... advice, anyone?

I worked in bars, got to manager, moved around the country.

It's a s*** job. Stupid hours, poor money, no time to spend it anyway.

Get OUT

I worked in a bar in Longbenton when I was younger (well 10 years ago) to fund my Uni education (sort of) and thought it was the greatest job.  I'd been there 3 years and I worked the busiest shifts, ousting folks that had done them same shifts for donkeys. Yes sir. Set up a nice little scheme whereby the till would take the price of a pint, I would take the price of a pint and my 'clients' would get their beer at half price or whatever. Made some great cash that way. Pinching the stock. Odd bottle of whiskey, cigars, the lot.  Then I was busted. Me mate took the rap for it like and I kept me job. 
So....pinch your way to a nice little earner or take the safe route.  I know which one I'd be doing. Hope that helps chap.

Take the job at the Vauxhall dealership, it could lead to sales positions in other fields of work.  Where is a pub going to lead you? Unless you want to open your own one day?

Working in a bar can potentially lead to a drink problem.  Amazing the amount of pints you neck before a shift/during a shift/after a shift.  Man, get out of the bar work. Seriously.  At least you stand a chance of an employer taking you on after you've done your time in the car show room. Bar work is worth zero I'm afraid chap unless you stay in the industry. What is the best you can become? A landlord of a boozer. Chucking out nutters every weekend. No sir.

I've worked in a car sales court, but was doing an admin job, before going on to parts management, but at weekends i did sales.

So for sales it was pretty busy during the weekend for me at least.

Most places will have valets to clean the cars so i doubt you'd ever need to do that. When you have no customers, you go through the database, look up old clients, ring them up and see if you can get them in for a possible part ex, or maybe just a valet or service. Even the phone call is good especially if you line it up as a courtesy call inquiring how their car has been, always worked well for me (also passes the time)

No shagging of fit women from this end, car salesmen tend to be perceived as creeps so it would take an utter dirty slut to jump one on a test drive.   

I said stepping stone as that's how a lot of people see it. Go to buy a car from a garage, then go back 3 years later and all but one of the sales team will be different, its just the way things work. Whether people get bored, find a better job, inside or outside of the motor trade, or simply arn't good enough to make a living from it, the rotation is heavy.

Good luck with the new job mate