Developing and maintaining professional competence is a critical factor for career advancement. There are various ways of improving one’s skills and expertise. Among them is implementing constant self-assessment and getting feedback from colleagues, managers, and customers. It is especially important for those sectors and industries that are highly relying on soft skills, such as the ability to communicate positively with clients and managing stressful situations.
My career is connected to hospitality management and mainly deals with administrative tasks. Currently involved in the aforementioned field, I am determined to advance in my career and one day become a front office manager with a possibility to be promoted to the position of a hotel general manager. However, to do this, I need to continually work on my competencies and skills and excel in my current responsibilities, including booking reservations, taking guest requests, addressing issues and complaints, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Therefore, I try to develop my communication skills, improve my organizational abilities, and learn about new technologies and best practices.
Moreover, it is always helpful for me to learn from my manager and colleagues. I learn from my three co-employees by asking direct questions if I find myself in some unfamiliar situation and have no time to evaluate all the details on my own. Furthermore, the front desk personnel get regular feedback from the manager responsible for all operations, including front desk issues. Finally, the most challenging and valuable learning experience comes from the hotel’s guests, whose feedback can be either extremely positive or negative. However, it is essential to analyze the customer’s reactions and turn them into a constructive evaluation of your performance that you can improve to become a better specialist.