Career Path: Waitress (parents café) > Receptionist > Trainee Management > Front of House Manager > Human Resources
“No matter where you come from, only you will limit where you can go"
My Story: During my early working life a key theme was the food and beverage business, whether it was working in my parent’s cafe or glass collecting, the Hospitality Industry was something I was drawn to. I enjoyed the team from the social side after work, the laughs we had during our shift and, dare I say, even the banter with the chefs could be fun!
When I left my home, I was offered a position as a Receptionist within a chain of conference centres. I hadn’t really thought about the hotel industry and so just took the job to “tide me over” until I found something better. That something better was the Trainee Manager programme, swiftly followed by my first management role as a Front of House Manager. I was hungry to learn and keen to “take over the world”. I now work as HR Director, it is a great role that has given me the opportunity to combine my learning from all of my previous roles. It is an opportunity to really add value to a business and really make a difference.
Funny Story: It was my first shift as a duty manager and there was a thunder storm, with lightening and torrential rain. I was in reception when I noticed a leak. I called the General Manager who was staying in house who said to me “Emma, you are duty manager so you need to deal with this”. So I thought OK I am duty manager, I can do this. I thought I would try to find the source of the leak and it hadn’t dawned on me (!) that there was a floor above so I went upstairs on to the landing to find water coming in through the next roof so I opened the door to an office to find a lady running round with buckets as the ceiling was leaking everywhere and water was gushing through the electrical sockets. I thought “Oh my God!! just as the plaster from the ceiling dropped on floor in front of me so I called the General manager again who when I told him about the ceiling collapse came rushing up. We went up the next flight of stairs and there was a little doorway (a bit like Alice through the looking glass) and it led out onto the roof. The roof was flat and was under about 2 foot of water. Leaves had fallen on to the roof and blocked the down pipe. The GM and I took our shoes and jackets off rolled up our trousers and stood outside in a storm clearing the leaves from the drain – we both got soaked through but managed to clear the drain. Do you know a funny thing happened on my last DM shift before leaving the hotel the ceiling sprang a leak in reception, I shouted to the F&B manager to follow me as I sprinted up the stairs two at a time, kicking my shoes off and rolling my trousers up I went out on to the roof and the roof had flooded !!!