*big long sigh*
This seriously needs updating!! And argghhh laking the motivation, but I thought I would post something, because well yes some news....I dont even know where to start....Im going to have to go back like two months!! Lets go back there....
CLOSE YOUR EYES PEOPLE....*wavy images as time goes back*
This is like a major update from my entry in July or so about the job I applied for at The Langham Hotel...
So things at work have been pretty quiet....bless them....Ive been dying with no work and Ive been having MAJOR withdrawals....!! Because I LOVE my job with The Relish Group....my boss is like my angel....when things got bad at GPK...I had to get out and he was my angel who lifted me up as I was falling from the sky...haha! But no really Im not just saying that for the meer joke of it, my boss is the greatest, he is a brilliant inspiration and he has built my confidence up...everytime I talk to him, I walk away feeling alot better in myself. I like that I have a relationship with him and that I can honestly tell him things, infact its like that with most of my senior management staff there...we are a tight little intimate team there.....even if I am only a casual and havent done many shifts with them....
But because of the Recession hitting the Hospitality Industry so hard, and working in the Luxury side of things....its hit it big there....so it was best for me to find a secondary job to help out. I had looked at some places....and applied and never heard back...it was hard as I wanted to stay with Functions and Events....its where I am liking things, Im like the change from the Waitressing I had been doing....its a different level and what not...I have found my place that I am wanting to get more into and being an expert in. The Langham Hotel had an advert for their new Banquet room...looking for Banqueting staff...so I applied... I had applied to them once before and never got a reply back at all...so I applied with the same feeling thinking I wouldnt get looked at....how ever the difference between this application and my application then was that I WANTED someone to pick me....and Ive been let down big time by alot of the big hotel chains in the CBD when its come to assessment days and open days losing out to others....feeling Im put aside for being a Kiwi...
But I applied for it just on the cut off of it closing....and I actually got an email back inviting me to an assessment day...which I thought was awesome...it was such a long wait as it wasnt for almost another month - and when the day came I was late...I missed the bus I wanted to get up to Symonds Street and had to find another one...(can I say Link bus drivers suck...when you ask what bus goes to Symonds Street dont listen to them when they say any of the buses from the side street to Britomart with 5 at the start....just walk up to the next stop and wait for any of the buses that goes to Three Kings as they go along there....and its like only 50 cents compared to the $1.30 you pay for the other buses going from the next street over..) anyway so I was late, and panicking....I knew it would make a bad impression being late....
The assessment day consisted of three parts - first one was Observation, and well little old me was in such a hurry the only thing i noticed was the lovely Kevin who is the door man....and may I say he really sticks to the Langham's Vision and Mission....as he remembers me...you will learn soon....but yes so the first part was a series of questions relating to the Langham Hotel and things inside it....this is partially a test to see if you have done research on the company before youve applied and during that lead time from being invited to the assessment day and the actual day. It was also taking notice of what was around you as you came in....and well their key point being to create Memories and a lasting impression...and well the hotel is meant to do that....your meant to remember these little details....so yes I helped my little group where I could...I remember saying the whole time "I rememember Kevin" thats all I took in was him and his name...! Haha!!
The second part was a practical, we had to set up a table of 5 in one minute, and then dismantle it all in one minute....the key point to I learnt was partly speed....and it was to test what you knew already....there is no right or wrong way to setting up a table...it all depends on the style of service and the menu being served as to how a table will be set up. I had to share my table - and the girl I was with took up more than half the table and I said to one of the assessors.....There is no way I am going to fit all 5 place settings on here she has taken up far to much room! I was deeply concerned about this....my competitive streak was showing and I was trying to show how damn good I was....and this girl well I didnt like her - ok she was a bit to expereinced for my liking....! I only got my cutlery down and my side plates and just got my nakpins on in a min...I mean phaor ONE MINUTE to set a table of five up....at the time I was doing my training for my table setting for the comps and at that I have an HOUR to set a table to FOUR!! I didnt get my glasses on and I was kicking myself about that....
But that was over and we went onto the third and final part.....this was a group assessment...we were given a senario...we were on a deserted island and we were only allowed to bring ONE thing with us that meant something to us....it wasnt allowed to be a person. For me my scrapbooking means alot of me....scrapbooking is all about Preserving memories for my future generations and just everyone...its my life story...and my item was a craft knife...I was more so specifically thinking of the Fiskar Tool Factory that has like a craft knife, tweezers, glue and other stuff all incased into one little tool....cause that meant I would have had more chance of serving hahaha!! But alas I dont know if anyone really know much about scrapbooking, let alone the Fiskars Brand! ANYWAY...we sat there all silent...and I took the lead and I said alright who wants to go first no one really did so I went and from there we came with out list of things and we then had to talk about how our items worked with the rest of the groups items for us to servive....and we just had to keep talking about how we were make it...my group was awesome....one of the guys in my group and I had so many ideas....our island went from being stuck on this island to repopulating it and having our own language and naming the island and what not...we looked into the future and what not...
After the assessment day was finished we were told it would be a couple of weeks before they would get back to us...if we didnt hear back that we were not sucessful....I decided to make the impression i left go a bit further and I emaild the HR Assistant Manager and thanked her for allowing me to attend...I elaberated by saying how much fun it was also how shocked I was that my group talked about things like sex and stuff...on our island...
A few weeks later I got a phone called on my phone but I was in class and ignored it...and sadly had no credit to listen to the voicemail....and thankfully my good friend Stacey whom Ive known since Kindy...put money on my phone - bless her - I owe her big time!! And doing so I was able to get this message and it was the Langham calling to see if I could come to an interview....I rang back and left a message....and I got a call back the following day while I was on my way into work to show my medals and certificates from the comps and to drop off some stuff I borrowed....and we arrange a time for an interview I was really hoping to have it at the same time as a meeting I had with my PL at Uni...because I didnt want to go to that meeting....Im going to white lie to her and say I had an interview on that day...lol!! LITTLE WHITE LIE NEVER HURT!! I get away with that fact I have bad memory thanks to my head being bashed against the kurb when I got beaten up and my depression sure screws it up...
I went off to my interview - and this is something people who know me well will know - when Im late I ALWAYS make up for it the next time - in this case I was an HOUR early for my interview....I went down to the cemetry and looked around trying to find my family that had been buried there....kinda sad down there alot of kids...and babies....my family is buried in the other part - well I mean their names are on a wall....their graves were covered over by the motorway.....NICE I KNOW!! I read all about the history of that Cemetry and stuff!! I went in for my interview - felt a little put off that the Banquets Manager wasnt paying full attention to me....and I left feeling like I didnt get the job...
Two weeks went by and I put it away and forgot about it...hadnt heard and thought I wasnt succesful...just another one of those hotels...but I got an email last week that brought hope...but only a little and I was like pfffft to it....but then the next day....an hour after I got my baby nephew to sleep finally....my phone rang and it was the call I had been waiting for...I was offered the position....and said I could start next week...I was a mean Aunty and woke my baby nephew up going "Wake up, wake up....Aunty got the job at The Langham Hotel!" ....he smiled and cuddled into me - lol then he started to cry as Aunty woke him up from his sleep that she worked so hard to settle him down into!
And so yes I now work for the Langham Hotel...I had my first day yesturday at the Langham...I was late...by like half an hour...thank to yours truely the train and bus - and the first person I saw when I walked up wth the lovely Kevin who knew who I was and he took me right to where I was meant to go...well he directed my from the lift...I got lost...lol! BUT I saw a chef who I asked to help me and she took me down to where I was meant to be...and THAT my friends is just the Langham way.....we are there to help everyone and we are to take you to where you are to go....because trust me its easy to get lost in a big Hotel...! But its just part of the service and it is just one of the many memories....
And already I feel welcome greatly into the team at the Langham Hotel and in actual fact I am already talking future plans....with my foster brother in the UK...like living in London and transfering over to the big Grandaddy of Langham Hotel....the very first Langham hotel...! Which of course I know a big part of the history of now...
Strangely enough Ive learnt alot in the past two days about the Langham Ive forgotten all my stuff for Uni!!
I just want to say a big thank you to my new co workers and management team....if you have managed to found my blog after I told you today what I read and out of curiosity...also part of the Langham way lol you have come to find this so called blog of mine....!
