Region: Scotland

Year: 2022

I found out about the course at the Job Centre, and we also had a session with Springboard, where they  introduced the course to us. My expectations for the course were very high and I’m happy to say that it met all of them!

I joined the course because I wanted to get into hospitality, but my previous attempts to get into the sphere weren’t successful. I needed some guidance on what I’m doing wrong at the interviews and gain a bit more confidence. My confidence very much depends on my knowledge, that’s why I wanted to learn much before I got started with the new area.

I honestly didn’t expect the hospitality industry to be so complex and open for any talents at the same time. I loved that at our input sessions we were learning not only about the structure of the industry, or the law supporting it, but also about ourselves, our hidden talents and the things that can be turned into great customer service skills without having to change who we are. The most surprising thing I’ve learned is that all the experience I have, all the skills I gained just by living my life can be exploited and turned into something personal and meaningful for the customers. And I think just after learning this I understood that hospitality is a great match for me.

And exactly after this revelation I became a part of Starbucks team who are the embodiment of what friendly and meaningful customer service is. We’ve been introduced to one of the managers of Starbucks. He invited me for the interview, and I started working right after I finished the course. I was supposed to be a barista, but in a few days of working my manager, offered me a higher position in our store. So I got promoted, and now I am going to be a shift supervisor. I am still thrilled with this news, and at the moment I’m continuing my learning process. I became a first aider, and now I’m learning how to run shifts in practice.

This course has also helped me to overcome my language barrier and find new friends. In three weeks, our group became a great team, and I actually miss the atmosphere we had when we were doing the course. Some of my new friends are now my colleagues at Starbucks, some of them now work at hotels and bars. I got some invitations to visit them, so I’m going to check on them at work.

Thank you to Springboard and IHIC for this great opportunity. You’ve built my new life here in Edinburgh! I can’t describe how grateful I am.