Getting a Job as a Personal Chauffeur
Becoming a general chauffeur is a somewhat easy task. Well, it’s as easy as getting any job. A chauffeur simply needs to have the required type of driver’s license and needs only to apply with a chauffeur service. If you pass the interview process and get hired, that’s all there is to it! However, getting a job as a personal chauffeur is different. In general, a personal chauffeur works for only one client or for a very small handful of clients. Often, they aren’t hired by a company but are hired by an individual, and finding these jobs can be a bit more difficult.
To become a qualified personal chauffeur, you’re going to have to get a PCO license. To get this license, you’ll first need to get a private hire driver’s license, which is different from a personal driver’s license. There are several requirements for getting this. First, you have to be at least 21 years old and second, you have to pass a criminal background check. In some locations, you may need to have had your driver’s license for at least three years.
You’ll also need to pass a medical fitness test. This test, which is called the Group 2 Standards exam, is necessary to prove that you’re properly fit to drive a car. It’s similar to the exams that drivers of buses and large vehicles have to go through. You’ll also need to pass a general physical that your own doctor can perform and demonstrate that you have no chronic medical conditions – like epilepsy – that would prevent you from safely chauffeuring a vehicle.
Besides the physical requirements, you also need to know how to plan a route and know the streets and major locations of the area you’ll be driving. There isn’t a knowledge test for this like there is for some taxi companies, but you’ll need to be able to read a map of the area and determine the best routes from one destination to another. Often, your employer will be able to help you with some of these routes at first, but he or she will expect you to pick them up fairly quickly. You may also need to pass a test involving map reading, route selection and general topography to get your chauffeur license.
Once you’ve got your license, you may think the hard part is over. But it’s not! Now you actually have to get a job as a personal chauffeur. You can start by picking up your local newspaper and looking through the classified ads. You can also search online classified and look on websites like Craigslist. You can post your own ads on these types of sites advertising your services and contact information. You will probably need to do both – respond to ads and post your own.
Word of mouth is also a good way of getting your name out there. Let your friends and family know that you’re available for chauffeuring. It can help if you have your own car to use, but in some cases, you may drive your client’s car. Either way, if you continue to search for a job, you should eventually be able to find work as a personal chauffeur.