James Thompson

Working at the The Residency helped me expand my skills in the bar and hospitality area, undertaking new roles, especially in more events based work. Unlike Chez Burton, it included skills such as being quick with my skills as all customers would come in at once, unlike a restaurant where they would have reservations spread across the evening. As well as this, I learnt new bar skills such pouring draft beer and finding ways to serve customers when having special requests for such products not shown on the menu.

During my time working behind the bar, I took pride in creating a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere for guests through friendly conversation and attentive service. I consistently checked customer identification to ensure compliance with legal drinking age requirements, and I followed all health and safety regulations by performing regular inspections and maintenance checks. I efficiently managed stock levels to avoid shortages during peak hours and ensured the bar was fully prepared for service by readying glasses, garnishes, ice, and equipment before opening. I processed payments accurately, handled cash securely to minimize the risk of theft or fraud, and kept discrepancies low during end-of-shift tallies. I often recommended drinks to customers, which helped increase overall sales, and I resolved any complaints quickly to maintain strong customer relationships. Working well under pressure, I adapted quickly to changing situations and collaborated closely with my team to deliver smooth and efficient service during busy periods. I also took on the responsibility of training new staff members, helping them uphold high service standards, and I completed end-of-day cleaning to ensure the bar was ready for the next shift. My commitment to excellent customer service often led to repeat business and positive guest experiences. The main thing I learnt through my time currently at Chez Burton is about management and finances as I would sometimes step into the Bar Management role whilst they did not have one, I would predominately do stock counts to ensure that the right takings had been taken and we had not lost only stock that we had not sold for revenue.

As a youth football referee, I showed strong adaptability by handling a range of situations on and off the pitch, always aiming to keep the game fair and enjoyable for everyone involved. I started this job to help benefit me in completing my DOFE GOLD award, this I am hoping to complete by the summer of 2026, due to residential booking being hard to find. I took pride in maintaining a high level of integrity in every match, making sure the honesty of the game was never compromised. Staying physically fit was important to me, as it allowed me to keep up with play and be in the right position to make accurate, timely decisions that helped the match flow smoothly. I consistently applied the rules to promote fair play among players and dealt quickly with any disciplinary issues to keep things respectful and under control. Throughout this, it expanded my knowledge of the game and provided me with what I love, which is a better understanding and knowledge of everything I love to do. Managing time well was also a key part of my role, ensuring the game stayed within its limits while maintaining a good pace. Overall, I brought a solid understanding of the rules and a calm, confident approach to each match I officiated.

Whilst still in education, we were tasked with a week in Work Experience, I undertook a role at Hitchin Town Hall, prominently in their museum sector, where they were at the time unveiling a Paddington exhibition, we had a look around and saw how they outlayed things around the building. During this week, I got to see some local artefacts, I was tasked on researching them and creating a short brief of what the object was and its history, I was then tasked with adding, alongside an image of the artefact, to their website and social media.