gennavieve pieper

Major: Event Management
Company/Organization: Cedar Rapids Country Club
Company/Organization website: www.cedarrapidscc.com
Destination: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Timeframe: Fall 2019
Advisor/Coordinator Email: briaj

Responsibilities

My responsibilities included welcoming guests upon their arrival and assisting them with their seating arrangements, assisting managers and organizers with planning the layout and logistics of events and crating Banquet Event Orders for staff and clients. Moreover I was in charge of distributing the necessary billing information and invoices to clients and show excellent leadership abilities and the ability to manage many staff members. In addition, I have used great time management, multitasking , excellent written and verbal communication abilities to provide an excellent level of customer service, even in stressful situations. Other tasks included physical tasks such as moving and lifting furniture and standing for long periods of time and setting up and managing staff shifts and timetables as well as developing and providing staff with the necessary training, including customer service, and serving etiquette and directing and assisting with the setup of events. I also was in charge of running the floor and coordinating the food and drink service by liaising with the kitchen and service staff and monitoring the inventory of supplies, equipment, and furniture.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment during my internship was when I became confident enough to start coordinating every part of an event on my own. Being my own worst critic is something I have always struggled with, and knowing I can accomplish overcoming my insecurities has resulted in me excelling at my job.

Learning experience

One lesson I have learned is even if I don’t like someone, I still might have to work with them. Being professional and positive is the best way to endure tough clients or coworkers that you’ll inevitably need to work with. Another lesson I have learned is to make critical decisions in a patient, yet directive manner when something bad occurs. There is no need to panic when a table collapses during an event because I have been trained for risk management. I know what I need to do in order to make sure everyone is safe and happy.

What advice would you give?

Sometimes, not everything will go as planned, what matters is how you handle the situation and what lessons you take from that experience.

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