Job Hunting Tips: Making the Right Move to a Manager or General Manager’s roll

For mid-level hospitality managers—especially those around forty years old—the next career step can define the rest of your professional trajectory. You’ve earned your reputation, built teams, managed operations, and proven you can deliver results. Now you’re ready for more responsibility: a general manager position, a multi-unit role, or a larger, more complex property.

Moving up in hospitality management isn’t just about experience—it’s about timing, positioning, and precision. Every interview, recruiter conversation, and career decision at this stage carries real weight. The right move can elevate your career and earnings potential for the next decade. The wrong one can stall your progress, erode credibility, or even set you back financially.

This guide explores advanced interview strategies, career pitfalls, and the actual cost of making a job change. It’s designed for seasoned hospitality professionals who want to step up without stepping backward.

Understanding The Impact of Job Hunting on  Your Career

At forty, most hospitality managers are in what recruiters call the “strategic transition phase.” You’re no longer defined by day-to-day management—you’re measured by how you build profitability, teams, and systems. Recruiters and owners now evaluate you for leadership maturity, not just operational skills.

Before pursuing a new job, assess your career direction. Ask yourself:
• Is this opportunity increasing my scale of responsibility, or just adding hours?
• Does this move give me a stronger brand and a better platform for future growth?
• Will I be managing more people, more revenue, or more complexity?

Career growth is about scope, not just title. A larger restaurant or hotel means broader oversight and new metrics—labor efficiency, profit margins, guest satisfaction, and strategic leadership.

Choosing the Right Move

There are three strong directions for mid-career hospitality professionals ready for advancement.

Move to a Larger Brand or Property
Transitioning from an independent to a corporate brand gives you systems, training, and visibility. It builds credibility for future corporate or regional roles. The tradeoff is less creative freedom, but greater access to financial analytics and leadership development.

Move Laterally to a More Profitable Concept
Sometimes the smartest move isn’t “up”—it’s “over.” A lateral shift from a $1.2 million restaurant to a $4 million operation broadens your exposure to scale. Recruiters value revenue management experience far more than small-title promotions.

Move Vertically to Multi-Unit or General Manager Roles
Multi-unit management requires strategic thinking, not just multitasking. Before applying, evaluate your readiness: can you delegate effectively, analyze P&L data, and coach other managers? Moving too soon can expose weak financial skills.

The Real Cost of Changing Jobs

Every job move has a financial and personal cost. Calculate both before deciding.

Financial Costs:
• Relocation, commute, or housing adjustments
• Wardrobe and onboarding costs
• The time gap between last paycheck and new job start
• Slower income for the first few months as you adapt

Relationship Costs:
• Losing trust equity with a long-time team
• Navigating new owner expectations
• Adapting to new systems and personalities

Reputation Costs:
Two job changes in ten years suggest ambition. Two job changes in two years raise red flags. Recruiters and employers track patterns—they see short tenures as instability. Make sure each move improves your market value.

What Recruiters Look for in Mid-Level Managers

Recruiters evaluate managers for both potential and performance. At this level, they expect you to talk like a general manager already.

They look for:
• Financial literacy—fluency in labor cost, COGS, and prime cost management
• Team development—proof you’ve trained and promoted from within
• Career stability—staying long enough to produce measurable results
• Systems thinking—examples of how you improved process and efficiency
• Communication—direct, concise, and emotionally intelligent answers

Managers who show ownership thinking—treating every dollar like their own—stand out. Talk about how you improved the business, not what limited you.

Mastering the Job Interview

Interviews for higher management positions are less about service and more about business strategy. You’re expected to discuss operations like an executive.

Treat the interview as a meeting between peers. Come prepared with data:
• Sales growth percentages year-over-year
• Labor reduction or productivity metrics
• Turnover and retention improvements
• Guest review trends

Use numbers in every story. For example: “We improved labor efficiency by 3% through daily pre-shift reviews, saving $40,000 annually.” Recruiters trust measurable results.

Anticipate senior-level questions:
• “What’s your strategy for controlling labor in high-wage environments?”
• “How do you handle underperforming managers?”
• “What financial levers do you pull first in a downturn?”

Answer with examples that show judgment and accountability.

Ask informed questions in return:
• “How are general managers evaluated on performance here?”
• “What are the growth goals for this concept over the next three years?”
• “How does your leadership team define operational success?”

These demonstrate insight and signal that you’re already thinking like management.

Common Mistakes That Stall Mid-Level Careers

Chasing Titles, Not Scale
A general manager title at a small operation isn’t advancement if you’re managing fewer employees or less revenue. Scale matters more than the name on your badge.

Staying Too Long in One Place
Five to seven years in one job is stability. Ten years without new challenges can look like stagnation. Recruiters want to see development—expanding roles, new metrics, or multi-unit exposure.

Ignoring Financial Education
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Take online finance courses or shadow an accountant. Learn forecasting, EBITDA analysis, and profit optimization.

Avoiding Recruiters
Hospitality recruiters are your bridge to hidden opportunities. Many top-tier jobs never reach public listings. Ignoring recruiters limits your visibility.

Not Documenting Achievements
Keep a running list of measurable wins—sales increases, labor improvements, retention rates, training programs. These give you interview ammunition and strengthen your résumé.

Mistakes That Can Derail a Career

Leaving abruptly, burning bridges, or badmouthing a previous employer are permanent marks on your professional record. Recruiters and executives communicate across states and brands.

Never exit a role without giving professional notice. Always clarify contractual obligations before interviewing elsewhere. Non-compete and repayment clauses can cost thousands in lost wages or legal fees.

Avoid over-explaining failures. Employers respect learning; they dismiss excuses. Be direct about lessons learned and how you’ve applied them since.

Finally, negotiate beyond salary. Benefits, bonus potential, and growth opportunity often outweigh a marginal pay bump. The wrong compensation structure can trap you in short-term gain and long-term frustration.

The Financial Reality of a Career Move

Moving jobs isn’t just about earning more—it’s about retaining more.

Hidden costs include relocation, benefit gaps, lost vacation payouts, and initial downtime before full earning potential. You should target at least a 15–20 percent total compensation increase to make a move worthwhile, or clear advancement in scale and scope if the raise is smaller.

Many managers underestimate the adjustment curve. It takes six to nine months to reach full productivity in a new operation. Make sure the opportunity justifies the investment.

Preparing for a Recruiter Interview

Recruiters are the gatekeepers to the best jobs. Treat every conversation with them like a high-level interview.

Before you speak, know your numbers—sales volume, labor percentage, and profit contribution. Be transparent about salary expectations and relocation preferences. Discuss results, not responsibilities. Show that you’ve analyzed your own business.

Ask recruiters what their clients prioritize. They’ll often give hints about decision-maker expectations that help you refine your pitch. Follow up courteously after each meeting; professionalism builds reputation and trust.

Building a Five-Year Strategy

Every career decision should fit into a five-year plan. Decide whether you’re targeting multi-unit management, corporate training, operations direction, or ownership. Then shape your résumé toward that path.

Recruiters help you identify which moves open those doors. A job that expands your financial control or brand exposure may pay off more than one that simply increases base salary.

Each role should increase your responsibility, your influence, or your compensation by roughly 15 percent. Anything less is a sidestep, not a step forward.

How Recruiters View Mid-Career Candidates

Recruiters consistently report that managers in their forties have the operational mastery but often undersell their strategic thinking. They talk about service standards but not about profitability.

At this level, your task is to shift your language from “running a restaurant” to “growing a business.” Highlight leadership, systems, and financial intelligence. Show how you develop other managers. A candidate who can explain how their leadership improves profit margins stands out immediately.

The Smartest Career Move

The best career move isn’t always the one with the biggest salary—it’s the one that expands your professional range. Recruiters advise aiming for roles that:
• Broaden your revenue scope (multi-unit or regional)
• Strengthen your brand equity (recognizable concepts or luxury properties)
• Increase your exposure to analytics, budgets, and reporting systems
• Offer mentorship from strong corporate leaders

If the position doesn’t improve one of those areas, it’s not true advancement.

Final Perspective

At mid-career, success isn’t about proving you can manage a shift—it’s about demonstrating that you can manage a business. Every decision, from the recruiter you engage to the job you accept, must align with long-term strategy.

Recruiters are invaluable partners in this process. They help you see the bigger picture, avoid missteps, and connect with employers who match your strengths. In today’s competitive hospitality management job market, those who combine financial understanding, emotional intelligence, and strategic career planning will rise above the crowd.

If you’re ready for your next step in hospitality management, prepare as if you’re already the general manager you want to be. Know your numbers, own your achievements, and make every move with precision and purpose.