Global Competency and Expectations

Oh, this week has been bittersweet. Realizing how much time has flown by is insane. It feels like a week ago, I was taking pictures of a rainbow as I landed on this beautiful island, but here I am now. Typing my last blog while in this country with all of my belongings packed to leave tomorrow. Yesterday I completed my last day at my placement, and it was very hard to say goodbye to everyone. I ended up taking the time to handwrite thank you cards for everyone I worked with. It was time-consuming but well worth it! I am going to miss them so dearly as they helped me feel welcome and made this place feel like home. I was very fortunate to be placed where I was as I got to meet so many amazing individuals and be a part of an incredible work team.

I am very excited to head back home to see family and friends, but it is very bittersweet to leave this inspiring place. I truly became self-sufficient while here, and have learned so much on a professional and personal level. I think a part of my heart will always lie here in Dublin or maybe somewhere in the Wicklow Mountains. I just know for sure that this was an experience of a lifetime, and I am so glad I took the leap to grasp it.

From my experience in Ireland and discussions with coworkers, I believe success can be measured by personal goals relating to happiness. The person I worked most closely with during my internship has two hours of travel every work day with long hours, but she loves her position and has worked at the Club for nearly ten years. This person has worked abroad and even run her own hotel operation, but she has found her greatest happiness working in Dublin. Her position as the front-of-house manager offers her the chance to develop relationships with a wide range of members and a comfortable wage to travel often. Her professional passion thrives while working at the Club, which has led her to live a successful life. On a professional note, I believe success is gauged based on performance or at least from what I have noticed. This holds true for most organizations where profit drives the rate of success for a given year. What is great for the Club is that they have several routes of cash flow and opportunities for revenue through their dining services, accommodations, memberships, and event spaces. Hospitality businesses similar to the Club need the profits to stay in continuous operation while trying to exceed customer expectations.

In the hospitality industry, an effective employee should be composed of the following things: passion, attention to detail, problem-solving skills, not easily flustered, great communication skills, and always ready to learn. Interpersonal skills are so important in the hospitality industry as a majority of occupations heavily interact with customers. From my experience, a successful employee at my placement needs to rely on effective communication and have the ability to work as a team. There were many times when my ability to comprehend a guest and effectively respond boiled down to my placement either gaining or losing business. Thankfully when there were instances where I struggled to communicate properly, I had a strong team behind me that could help me mend the situation or give me the strength to fix it. Overall without a passion for hospitality, an employee will not be as successful as an employee who thrives with working as a team and enjoys high contact with customers.

The biggest difference I have noticed between successful employees here in Ireland and back home can be based on job enjoyment and productivity. While working at the Club, I was exposed to a different working environment than what is expected in the United States. While not every day was super productive for my coworkers, they had a better outlook on their occupation because their day was broken up with little breaks for self-care, even if a short break was time by themselves or cracking jokes in reception. Employees at the Club are extremely hard working, but not every day was riddled with dread or filled with stress as everyone truly enjoys where they work. I feel like I have witnessed the opposite back home. As I have watched friends land the job of their dreams, but the enjoyment is short-lived. There seems to be a demand for constant productivity that drains their mental health, passion, and motivation for success beyond just receiving the next paycheck.