Tilly Wilson

Every few months in Worcester, Cheltenham and Gloucester I help my Auntie out with completing a weekend of a market. I will help her sell her hand crafted items to customers who could be the right fit for the certain style of jewellery. I come face to face with different customers and sell off an expensive piece of jewellery and it's really helped me feel more confident with talking to someone new and improving my independence and communication skills.

I have had experience in a popular Whitley bay cafe and experienced different types of customers and how to meet their specific needs. I have learnt how to deal with stressful situations and how to properly use my initiative. I also work with a family member on markets and selling their products so I have a skill in selling specific items. I also currently work for my parents' dog business and help them out with communicating with customers and handling the online system. I also work at my local primary school once a week and help with the SEN children and how they function in a mainstream school.

Rendezvous Cafe is my first job from when I freshly turned 16; it allowed me to have a real experience with customers and how the hospitality industry runs properly. In this job I have been learning how to deal with customer complaints, or different questions I get asked daily. I also learn ways to communicate to non-verbal people. Arranged seating for customers at clean tables while accommodating wheelchair users and highchairs. I'm always checking the kitchen is stocked up with clean and dry dishes and the counter always has clean glasses and cutlery to keep the cafe running smoothly and efficiently. I am constantly checking on customers and ensuring they have everything they need; the dishes are washed and dried thoroughly and the floor is clean and tidy. This job gave me the chance to upgrade my skills in customer service, initiative, communication and problem solving. I have also learnt how to manage my time, such as attending work in the morning on time and never being late.

I completed working with reception for 75 hours whilst i attended college. I helped the teachers with the activities for the children. I ensured the equipment was fresh and there was enough for each child on the table. The play area outside is always clean and no rubbish is left from the day before. From this experience I am learning how to communicate efficiently with children and how to keep them entertained with a subject such as maths. Remove pronoun have learnt that SEN children love sensory items so using them really helps them concentrate. Learning how to communicate with children who had additional needs really taught me that there no different to children without needs other than they needed more help with learning topics in school and helping them focus with tasks. I also ensured they were happy and comfortable with the way i taught them and looked after them during their day at school.

My parents own a dog boarding business, so I am there to walk the dogs through the day, feed the dogs their correct meals and ensure they all get on with each other and there's no fighting occurring. I also do the customer facing so I handover the dog to their owner once they have completed their stay and I ask for feedback from their owners onto our website. I also do the 'handovers' where I will collect the dog from the owners when they arrive at our house and ensure I know any vital information about the dog. This has helped me develop customer service skills and communication skills by ensuring customers are happy with the service we provide.