As you maybe know after my about page I am currently studying in Glion Institute of higher education. Part of my education here is to do an internship of six month. I finished my internship which I would like to tell you a little bit more about a few weeks ago. Now I am back sitting in the class room learning about financial accounting, marketing and many more topics.
Before I started my studies in Glion, I was always a very hard-working teenager.
I entered the work world for the first time when I was fourteen years old. Ever since I worked in several different environments and primarily because I worked in various offices and businesses, I gained a lot of experience first-hand how I have to behave and, in general, everything about work relationships. Before my experience in Hotel Arts, I have mostly worked in small establishments or at least small comparing to the Marriott Bonvoy group.
The practical experience started in my first week of Glion since the courses were mostly practically focused. The most beneficial aspect for me was to know in which department I would like to work during my internship. Every week we worked in a different department or position. From reception to housekeeping over service and kitchen, we had the opportunity to gain a little bit of experience in every area of a hotel.
Before I started my practical arts semester at Glion, I worked as a waitress and barista in restaurants and hotels in Berne and Gstaad. Knowing these fields, I wanted to experience something new: Working in a kitchen. Being a passionate cook in my spare time, I started looking for an internship position in a kitchen, and I was fortunate because, after quite a short period, I was accepted at Hotel Arts in Barcelona.
Hotel Arts is part of the Marriot Bonvoy group, and with such a large company in the background, it was a completely new experience for me. Additionally, to my personal growth, I believe an internship position in such a big and very well-known company is an excellent value for my CV. Moreover, I claim that it makes a significant impact if I have a broad spectrum of experiences shown in my CV.
In the first three months of my internship, I was working in three different kitchens of Hotel Arts. My first job was in “Bites”, which is an all-day restaurant with classic lounge dishes, such as burgers, avocado toast, acai bowls, and many more things. I felt very well prepared because of the kitchen weeks in Glion. My second placement was the pool restaurant “Marina”, which is an open kitchen concept restaurant serving pool classics like pizza and Ceasar salads. There I had to work and interact with the customers, all at the same time. After this, I was working in the most beautiful kitchen in the hotel arts, at restaurant “Arola”, which is named after Sergi Arola, a 1 Michelin Star chef. The restaurant specializes in innovative tapas creations and Mediterranean food. I liked it, and I had a great team, and my chef was immensely beneficial for my experience. I felt treated like every other cook in the kitchen and not like a trainee. I had a lot of responsibility, which was sometimes stressful, but I learned a lot and was very happy. The first week I was thrown into cold water – all of a sudden I was responsible for the pastry kitchen because the pastry chef quit from one day to the next. After this exciting experience I was transferred to the cold kitchen. I was responsible for the whole station and every single plate that went out. Emotionally and psychologically, it has a powerful impact if you know that you are the person who carries the responsibility of the food that goes on the table. Research shows that the feeling of power is one of the greatest motivators for excellent, precise and successful work.
My chef was, in my eyes, an outstanding team leader regarding his ability to foster a strong sense of team spirit, a pride in working as part of the team. (McClelland, 2008)
As a conclusion, I have to repeat myself: The internship was an excellent experience for myself personally and professionally. I now have an added value to my CV and my skill set. I am grateful for this experience, and I will keep these six months always in my mind as a positive and valuable experience.
Thank you for reading and I will try to post more from now on!
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