Meena Adamou

• My role at The Cheese Bar was to provide an experience for customers from the moment they stepped in until they left. I would manage/seat bookings, perform the steps of service, introduce the customer to the concept of the open bar dining and the layout of the menu & drinks, recommend/upsell any specials we had to offer on the menu regarding food/drink, or any lunch/evening offers we had. I was very interactive with the customers, and sought to create rapport and relationship so that I could curate an individual experience for each table, and recommend items/drinks that were specific to their individual tastes. I was also responsible for making drinks; I learnt how to make bespoke cocktails and memorised the wine lists/food pairings so that I could curate specific wine/cheese pairings for customers, which enhanced their overall dining experience. I had also made efforts to memorise the entire menu, including the specific cheese and the process of production to ensure the customer would also get to experience some knowledge and information about the cheese-making process behind their meals. In addition, I was responsible for opening/closing the bar and tables completely, replenishing the tables, taking payments, serving food and seating tables.

In my third year of university, I moved back home with my mother and began to assist her with her care needs informally. She suffers from physical and mental impairments, and living at home whilst studying the remainder of my degree has allowed me to help her a lot more. I assist her with the shopping, taking her to and from the supermarket, and carrying her items. She occasionally requires support when walking long distances, so I can assist her. In addition, I carry out tasks for her when she is physically/mentally unwilling to leave the house, such as collecting/ordering medical prescriptions, organising doctor appointments, and assisting her to said appointments. There is a lot of patience and compassion required of this duty; however, through presenting such characteristics, I have ensured that my mother has a safe space within our home and with me to talk to whenever she is struggling with her mental or physical health. I will make efforts to research community welfare events and encourage my mother to participate in knitting and coffee clubs to boost her spirits and keep her from being stuck at home all day. This experience has taught me a lot about caring for and loving those in vulnerable positions, whilst balancing my studies/part-time jobs, and has deepened my patience and selflessness.

I was responsible for curating a positive, welcoming atmosphere in the venue through my people skills. My main responsibility as a waitress included: welcoming customers, guiding them through the food & drink menus/specials, building rapport throughout service, placing orders, serving food and taking payments. I would make sure to complete regular checks on my tables so that they felt extra special, all whilst upselling drinks and food. Occasionally, I would stand in for the host and seat bookings/walk-in customers based on their comfort; for example, if a couple required a quiet space to talk, I would attempt to place them further from the centre stage, which was used for performances. In addition, I was entrusted to host private karaoke events throughout the day. I would host groups of up to 25 people; taking orders, recommending drinks/food and upselling. This role was perfect for me, as I enjoyed building relationships with customers. Personally, it is a joy to make the customer's experience special and personal. Furthermore, if any complaints arose regarding external issues such as karaoke malfunctions, my relationship with the customers would ensure immediate diffusion of the situation and guarantee them the best experience regardless of external store issues. I made sure to go above and beyond for customers with special bookings, such as birthdays/anniversaries, by delivering free shots with the team, engaging them in conversation, and setting up cakes/candles to make them feel as special as possible. In the morning, I was responsible for opening tasks. At the end of the day, I completed the floor closing tasks and assisted the bar with additional closing tasks, if needed.

• I worked front-desk reception at a hotel in Nottingham during my studies, which was responsible for housing refugees. This was not the average receptionist job, although quite a few duties transferred the job duties were a lot more broad and unique, as we were not open to the public. I would interact with the refugees daily, helping with front-desk requests concerning key cards, health & safety concerns and inquiries on food. I made sure to ensure that I always brought warmth, positivity, and professionalism to every interaction, hoping to uplift the mood of each individual that I had encountered. I did a lot of training on the keycard systems so I would assist with appointments, meetings, cleaning etc., as well as dealing with/forwarding phone calls. It was my responsibility to maintain the cleanliness of the front- desk and to make sure dispute forms were filed out and updated if a problem was to ever occur in line with constant communication with security. I was responsible to complete a fire-check of the whole building twice a day and at the end of the day I would hand over a handover to pass over to the night team. I would find myself with a lot of extra time, in which I would help out in the kitchen with cleaning and setting up/replenishing the area for breakfast, lunch and dinner services.

• At a very eccentric bar in Shoreditch, my role was integral to curating an energetic mood within the venue. At the start of the day, I would be responsible for the opening store duties, which involved cleaning & setting up tables, preparing the waitress stations and attending the brief. During the shift, I was responsible for my own section of tables, where I took orders, recommended food and drinks, and built rapport with each table individually. My engagement enabled me to upsell each order and curate recommendations tailored to each group's needs. In addition, my role throughout the shift involved clearing tables, serving drink/food orders and assisting customers with any inquiries. At the end of the day, I would perform closing store duties, such as clearing glasses/trays, wiping down tables, and helping the bar with additional closing tasks.

I worked closely with my manager, as her trusted colleague to manage daily operations and store responsibilities. I would help with daily operations, multitasking between either stock-taking or merchandising throughout service. I was entrusted with updating the floor planograms and ring trays to align with the new season of jewellery sales. I would distribute new items to the shelves, and maintain the overall store's tidiness to appeal to customers at maximum capacity. I was responsible for training new staff members and setting an example of how to style/engage with customers efficiently. I would also encourage sales and item knowledge quizzes/games throughout the day to maintain the work ethic and enthusiasm, strengthen relationships within the team, and ensure a positive environment. My role also consisted of styling/assisting customers following the styling tips as posted on the dashboard, upselling their looks with promotion items in an attempt to increase KPI's. It was important for me to engage with the customer with attentiveness and genuine conversation regarding their individual needs from the moment they step into the store until they leave, to ensure the best experience and promote the potential for regular customers. I would keep track of targets and record them throughout the day, including logging targets, end-of-day stats and the end-of-day handover. I would set up for the next day, which entailed replenishing the store, cashing up and recording/sending the necessary information to finance. That summer, I was very honoured to be given the responsibility of running regional operations whilst the regional manager was on holiday, which involved a high level of organisation and planning as I had to set daily targets and post them on the dashboard, with operations assigned for all 5 stores in the region. I would do the morning, midday, and end-of-day check-ins to track operational progress and KPIs/targets, offering insightful motivation and practical tips if any stores were struggling to meet their expected goals for the day. I worked at the company full-time in London for my first year, and then I was transferred to the Lovisa in the Midlands when I went to university because it was closer to my accommodation and joined the Nottingham branch on a part-time basis before leaving at the end of my first term.

• I worked as a seasonal sales associate for the Christmas period. I was responsible for processing cash and card payments during busy shopping periods to minimise customer waiting times and help out the cashier team. I was responsible for packaging products, maintenance of the store-front e.g., replenishing clothing arrangements, placing miscellaneous products back in their departments throughout the day. I learnt the store layout and memorised the areas where each bras/styles/tops/pyjamas/gymwear would be kept to make sure I was prepared to assist customers as efficiently and quickly as possible with any type of request. My product knowledge and store knowledge greatly helped me to upsell sets/extra products that would cater to each customers specific basket and needs. I would organise and distribute new merchandise onto the shop floor in line with the specific arrangements and planograms to ensure that the latest items were on display and would get sold much more quickly. I was responsible for the closing duties such as cleaning the shop-floor/windows/surfaces, organising merchandise, assisting with cash-up. I made sure to maintain enthusiasm and a great work ethic throughout the day to ensure the customer would get a great experience. I was able to create a great rapport and build relationships with customers in order to upsell and tailor their shopping experience to their individual needs and situations.