School work experience- Work experience Letter My week at The Retreat Port Stephens
By Melissa Keeley – Kandos High School
I have been coming to The Retreat Port Stephens for holidays for many years. This year in school we get to have a week’s Work experience so what better than to find out how a Holiday Park runs than here. The Retreat offers accommodation for groups, schools, families and couples so there is a wide range of markets that they are trying to target for both Marketing and onsite facilities.
I live approx. 4 hours’ drive away, and I’ve travelled up here to do a week worth of work experience. I have been given my own cabin to stay in which is really great and my mu is staying here with me for the week.
During the week I have learned how The Retreat works their whole business from the Booking system, Graphic designs work, website and online marketing, housekeeping, creating documents, Laundry, inventory control and I have had to create and research activities, games and menu’s for schools and groups. I have my own desk and computer which is just fantastic, just like a real job.
The first day here, I got shown around the office, laundry, and how the things work with the computer. After the induction our first job for the week was to clean The Lodge after the guests checked out. My first job was to strip the beds, get new sheets and pillowcases to put on. Then to vacuumed and mopped while the cleaners went through and cleaned the Kitchen, bathrooms and made the beds. After cleaning The Lodge it was lunchtime and then we went onto doing another two buildings. That was day 1 which was actually fun believe it or not.
Second day I went with the Office Manager into Nelson Bay were we had a few things to do like visit the Bookkeeper and deliver the invoices for the week, RTA to register a vehicle, Computer shop for supplies and deliver banners for a fundraising event that The Retreat are supporting. While we were in Nelson Bay we went to the Visitors Centre where I had the opportunity to look around and see all the amazing things that this Tourism area have to offer. Although I have been here so many times there is so much more than I realised to see and do in the area. While we were in the Visitors Centre I met some very important people that work for Port Stephens Tourism which was lucky. After collecting lots of information and buying a few goodies we went back to The Retreat.
After lunch I started on a school camp booklet that had ideas for catering menu’s and activities they could do here when staying here. There were heaps of great ideas and interesting doing the research for this.
Third day was continuing with the booklet , was shown the basics of how the bookings work, how emails are set up, and other little things on the computer, then begun this blog.
After lunch we had a building to clean which was great to get out of the office for a bit. Then some general tidying up around the park, after a storm to get the place looking beautiful again.
Forth day we had a few loads of laundry to get through as well as folding blankets and tidying up the store room. We then went and cleaned out the bathrooms in the camping area like the toilets, showers, vacuuming and mopping etc. After a bit more laundry and folding mopped and that was completed. After lunch we started to get the outsides of the buildings ready for the long weekend which was coming up. All the outdoor areas have to the swept and wiped down they are perfect for the incoming guests and thanks to the storm which we had this was a bigger than normal job.
Last day, we finished what we started yesterday, and then we made sure it was all done properly, finished off the laundry. After lunch before I left we had went and cleaned the last cabin the one I was staying in which by this time I knew exactly what needed to be done.
Over all I really enjoyed the week. Staying here and helping out, and I would consider doing a job something like this in the future.
Thank you to Michelle the Office Manager and all the staff at The Retreat for making my week of work experience interesting, fun and a wonderful experience.
For all your accommodation need or to create your own work experience letter call 02 4982 1244
