I have learned a lot about my leadership skills through working different customer service jobs where I have had to step up and own myself as a leader. 

I have worked for many different companies in the guest service department, including a Barista at the Marriott Courtyard in Old Town San Diego, a Cocktail Server at Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, and Catering/Special Event Staff at the USS Midway.  However, the job where I have seen the most self-improvement is at my current job.  I work at DoubleTree by Hilton as a Front Desk Agent.  It is by far the most responsibility I have had at any job that I have worked thus far.  Because of this, I was placed outside of my comfort zone and forced to adapt and grow from the experience.  

At first, I was very uncomfortable with being left alone at the desk.  I didn’t want to get put into a situation where I did not know how to please a guest or solve the problem that was at hand.  I would try to hide in the background so that I did not have to deal with the stress of coming up with solutions to everyone else’s problems.  After observing how well my supervisors handled conflict, I decided to step up and gain more experience in difficult situations so I could learn from them.  I realized that I could not escape the hard stuff – life is about accepting those challenges and finding a way to overcome them.  If I didn’t step up now, the how could I get through life without being afraid of any little thing that stood in my way?

It was then that I let my managers know that I was ready to take on more responsibility.  I am now able to run shifts alone if need be, and I am able to help guide new trainees in the DoubleTree way.  It was ultimately the people that I work with at DoubleTree who inspired me to push myself and become better everyday.