Kennedy has secured her internship role at The Duke of Marlborough working as a waitress, with a long list of responsibilities, exciting events & functions, and a lot of new skills learned, she is loving every minute of working for The Duke – including the amazing sunsets. Check out what she has to say about her time in industry so far.
Where are you doing your internship? And what is your job title?
- My internship is at the Duke of Marlborough hotel in Russell. My role at the Duke is as a waiter in their restaurant.
What are your main responsibilities at work?
- I have a long list of duties and responsibilities, but the main important ones are:
- Providing guests with excellent service.
- Ensuring everyone is taken care of properly in a courteous and polite friendly manner.
- Keeping everyone safe by adhering to our house rules, ensuring our guests follow them as well, and helping in any evacuation procedures we may have in emergencies.
How did the internship team help with your internship placement?
- I placed myself for my internship but had help from my amazing internship manager Mandy. Before my internship started, I was working at the Duke casual, doing weekend shifts and some after-school here and there. I decided to stay at the Duke to help build my skills and knowledge faster than learning new systems at a new establishment. I also noticed that the work environment and company culture was amazing from the start and that was a big reason why I decided to stay.
What have you enjoyed most about your internship?
- Being able to work multiple functions we hold, i.e weddings, birthdays, family reunions, gala dinners, etc, helping those guests enjoy their night by providing excellent service and watching everyone have the night of their lives, making great memories that I get to be apart of.
- Building great relationships with guests either in the restaurant or functions (getting thanked by the bride and groom on multiple occasions and having my name chanted so loud the whole restaurant could hear) and the relationships I have built with my fellow co-workers.
- Watching myself grow my skills and knowledge. From spilling wine on Mandy (sorry again Mandy) to being able to walk with a full tray of drinks, deliver them and not spill a drop. Not being able to suggest a wine that matches our food to knowing a bit more of the basics still satisfies guests. I do still need to work on my wine knowledge, our dog point Sauvignon Blanc is amazing with our Market Fish, but you’ll have to come in and try it. 😉
Any takeaways from the overall internship experience so far?
- A takeaway from my internship experience for myself and others would be don’t focus on the little mistakes, focus on your achievements and your goals, that’s how you fix those little mistakes, learn from them, and grow, always think of the positives and there is always a way to fix the little things.
What advice would you give students preparing for internship?
- When picking a placement don’t follow your friends or your family, follow your heart. Of course, if you need that support go with them but make sure you truly feel that is what YOU want. Because at the end of it, it is YOUR internship.
- Do something you think you will love doing, for example. I loved hearing of people’s journeys around the world and meeting new and interesting people, I knew I wanted a customer-facing job. So, I became a waiter. But don’t forget to try new things.
- Once on your internship strive to do YOUR absolute best, focus on yourself first and bettering your skills then strive to be the best of the best. Just remember you are going into the industry with some people who have been in it for 10+ years. You can’t expect to be as great as them straight away it will take some time and there is nothing wrong with that, especially being new to the industry.
Any other tips and tricks for future students thinking of coming to QRC? 
- Ask questions, the only dumb question is those not asked, and I wish I learned that sooner “if you don’t ask you don’t get” as Mandy would say.
- Make time to socialize and find a healthy balance between study and leisure time to ensure you’re not stressing about the workload, but you still have time for fun.
- Use those SDL classes for study time, they are not “free periods” use your time wisely.
- Have fun, and never forget you will always have an endless amount of support here at QRC.
Anything else to add?
- I would also like to thank all of my amazing tutors and others for all the support throughout Hospitality Service and Hospitality Management: Clare, Sophie, Mandy, Michele, Janna, Eddie, Harvey, Nick, Michaele, Bex, Rado, Jeanie and Cherrish. You are all amazing ❤️
Your workplace or personal social media handle:
- Facebook – The Duke of Marlborough
- Instagram – Dukeofmarlborough
