Transferrable Skills

Transferrable skills are those which can be used in all jobs because they make you a well rounded employee that can work in a number of different situations. Since last year, I feel as though I have come a long way in developing my transferrable skills in order to make myself a sought after employee. Here is a list of transferrable skills that employers tend to look for (Skillsyouneed.com, 2017):

• Problem Solving
• Organising
• Working to deadlines
• Management and Leadership
• Negotiating
• Motivating People
• Making Decisions
• Research Skills
• Numeracy
• Good Communication Skills

Problem Solving: Last year I did not feel that I had been in many spa related situations where I had to solve a problem. However, since then I have been working as a therapist and a supervisor in spa, therefore I have been in situations where I have had to solve problems which involve both therapists and guests, which require different forms of professionalism. By developing my problem solving skills, I will be more confident in a number of different scenarios such as complaints,therapist issues etc.

Organising: Organisation this year in terms of my time has been fairly difficult as I have had 2 jobs, university work and social time to balance. I feel as though I could have done better with this, especially when dedicating time to university assignments, but once I put a plan in place and stuck to it I was able to get on top of my work as well as keep working in both spa and my other job. Developing organisational skills and being able to demonstrate them to employers shows them that you will be on top of things and be able to meet deadlines.

Working to Deadlines: Working to deadlines applies to me with both uni, and working in the spa. At university I have assignment deadlines to meet which means I have to plan my time effectively in order to give them all the attention needed. I have found this quite difficult because of the jump in the quality of work from level 4 to level 5 in order to get the best grades, which means that I have attempted to put things off, which is the worst thing to do. However, I have now set out dates and plans of when and what work to do in order to complete it in time for submission to a high standard. In spa, I am on deadlines in terms of meeting targets, making sure treatments start and finish at the right time, and also making sure that spa is opened and closed on time in the morning and evening.

Management and Leadership: This year has been key in me improving my management and leadership skills. Since the beginning of this academic year I have been watching the commercial team and student supervisors when dealing with all different types of situations including guest complaints, missing bookings and staff absence. Because of this, in second semester I felt comfortable enough to put myself forward for the role because I knew I had enough basic knowledge to then build upon through my own experiences. As i have got to know the weekend team more over the last few months, I am also able to delegate tasks efficiently so that they get done to the best standards.

Negotiating: Negotiation is a skill that can be used in many parts of a business. When working in the spa, my main use of negotiation is when dealing with customer complaints or issues in order to find a solution for them and be able to offer the most reasonable level of compensation for any troubles they may have had. general employee-to-company negotiation may also include holiday, pay or hours to name a few. Having developed negotiation skills allows a person to feel like they have more control in a situation and will be able to speak for themselves and obtain their goal effectively.

Motivating People: Many jobs involve motivating other people, whether it be personal motivation, motivating everyone as part of a team or keeping your team motivated as a manager. This year I have found myself trying different methods of motivation as a supervisor, this could be anything from bringing in treats for staff to enjoy on breaks, or creating incentives on shift such as meeting a retail target or getting repeat bookings and being rewarded with spa use or other discounts. This method seems to work well in the spa as people are more likely to respond to reward when asked to complete a task (smallbusiness, 2017).
Other forms of motivation include conveying a positive attitude which will reflect on other colleagues. This also means that the team will be more productive if there is a constant positive attitude through everyone. When being supervisor on my shifts, I try my best to keep everyone motivated with a positive attitude and leadership mentality.

Making Decisions: Decision making is a skill that I have been able to greatly improve this year due to the new experiences I have had in spa as well as in my other job. There are often situations where quick decisions need to me made without a member of authority present. This is something that I would have been very uncomfortable doing last year. However, because I have been in more of these situations as well as having the opportunity to see how my colleagues make similar decisions.

Research Skills: My research skills have been drastically improved this year as we had a research skills module which allowed us to explore the basis of research, why you would use certain types of research over others and how combining different types of research can benefit certain topics. this module also helped me to look more carefully into my sources and think about why I am using them and how I can apply them logically to my research. moving onto level 5 has allowed me to see the standard of referencing and depth of research that is required in order to achieve grades in the top band.

Numeracy: “It is simply inexcusable for anyone to say ‘I can’t do maths.’ (Humphries, 2011)
My basic numeracy skills are to a fairy high standard, I am also confident on my mental arithmetic which means I am able to work things out quickly to solve a problem for example. Now that I have started to cash up in spa, I am able to use these skills to do the job more efficiently. Being able to work with numbers has also helped me in my business module when creating my cashflow forecast. Having a high level of numeracy skills often sets candidates apart in recruitment because it shows a certain level of efficiency in how someone works.

Good Communication Skills: Good communication skills are required for almost every industry in order to successfully progress. Different parts of my jobs involve talking to a variety of different people which means that I have had to develop the skill of knowing how to effectively communicate in a way that is professional with different types of people. In spa, I have learned that my manners when I am on reception and in a supervisory role have to show a more authoritative stance so that the guests feel like they would be able to come to me with any issues they may have and feel confident in the fact that I will be able to deal with them professionally.
When communicating with my team, I need to ensure that I am able to be authoritative but understanding also, to gain the most productivity from them. By knowing how to communicate with your team, it opens many more opportunities for you to gain feedback and respect from them and identify any issues that need to be dealt with for their employee satisfaction.
Because I have worked in a number of industries, eg. Retail, Spa and bars, I have developed my communication skills with a wide range of people including customers, colleagues and suppliers. I believe that I am able to adapt the way I communicate with a variety of different people, both professionally and in every day life, which gives me the edge on a lot of jobs because I can prove that I am able to communicate effectively in different situations.

CV

This is a copy of my CV. I used this CV when looking for my 12 month internship.

By updating my CV from last year, i was able to make it look much more professional as well as include more information in a different format. To do this, I used the Abintegro CV tool to help me create this new layout, allowing me to input my information and be given a successful template.

Alejandra Ibarra

165B Lightwood Road, Buxton, SK17 6RN   | a.ibarra1@unimail.derby.ac.uk | https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alejandra-ibarra-145773106

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PROFILE

I am currently a second year student studying International Spa Management (BSc). Once I have completed this year, I am looking to begin a 6-12 month placement that enables me to build and improve upon my customer service skills as well as spa specific skills such as developing my management and supervisory skills.

KEY SKILLS

·     IT skills - Using the premier booking system, comprehensive understanding of Microsoft Excel

·     Proactive - Always able to find tasks to complete

·     Able to work well in as well as lead a team

·     Fluent Spanish - Have completed both GCSE and A-level Spanish, as well as learning the language through going to school in Spain

·     Trained in Elemis, Ishga, Caudalie and Comfort Zone

·     Networking and Social Media - have done social media promotions as part of small jobs in order to make sales

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

·     Have been mentioned in company emails for sales achievements

·     Received bonuses on multiple occasions as a team for continuously meeting sales targets

WORK EXPERIENCE

Sales Associate | Diesel UK                                                                                Dec 2016 to Jan 2017

Designer clothing company est. 1978

·     Obtained a temporary position in the Ashford Outlet store over the busy Christmas period, serving customers, maintaining a tidy stock room and shop floor, and maintaining and exceeding sales targets.

Massage Therapist | The Devonshire Spa                                                             Sep 2015 to Present

The Devonshire Spa is an educational facility as well as an award winning commercial spa at the University of Derby, Buxton.

·     Started as a spa host whilst training in massage and facial treatments, am now trained in Elemis, Ishga, Caudalie facials, and Comfort zone body treatments. The job involves providing excellent customer care from when they walk through the doors to when they leave at the end of their visit.

·     Was a part of the spa team when winning the Day Spa of the Year 2016 award

·     Receive personal thanks on regular occasions from guests

Sales Associate | Guess UK                                                                                May 2014 to Jul 2015

Worldwide designer clothing company offering high-end fashion for a variety of people.

·     Providing top quality customer services

·     Maintaining shop floor standards

·     Being aware of and implementing loss prevention procedures

·     Keeping up standards in the stock room

·     Meeting sales targets

·     Numerous occasions of gaining bonuses through continuously meeting weekly targets

·     Being mentioned in national outlet email for exceeding targets

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

Invicta Grammar School - GCSE, A levels 11 GCSE´s including English, Maths and Science: A*-C

3 A-levels (Dance, Spanish and Media Studies): B-C                                                                      2015

I studied at Invicta Grammar School from year 7 to year 13 studying a variety of subjects including Hospitality and Catering GCSE (A*), Business Studies GCSE (B), Media Studies A-Level (C) and Spanish A-Level (B). These subjects, amongst others, allowed me to gain knowledge in different sectors, which I would later carry through into my university studies.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Training: Comfort Zone: Thermogenic Attack, Himalayan Salt Massage, Pro-Sleep Massage [2016], Caudalie: Facials, Pre/Post natal massage, Divine massage, Fleur De Vigne candle massage [2016], Ishga [2015], Elemis: Deep tissue, Advanced Facials, Scrubs [2015]

Languages: English, Spanish

INTERESTS

• Wellness
• Nutrition
• Fitness

REFERENCES

Sian Jones | Spa Manager, The Devonshire Spa

Zoe Williams | Store Manager, Diesel UK

Personal reflection within practicals

This years practical sessions were new to all students, which made me feel a lot more confident in my abilities as we were all learning completely new products together. Because Caudalie and Comfort Zone were only bought into the spa this year, we all had a lot to learn about the products, the brands themselves and of course the treatments, so that we could promote them to our existing guests in the best possible way.
I was not very confident going into this years practical sessions because I had just learned Elemis and Ishga and was ready to continue with and perfect these brands. However, as we progressed through the treatments, I found myself becoming more and more confident with the routines and the products. I had started to learn how to link products and treatments together as a way of learning the benefits of both.

Personal Reflection

Champneys
This was a trip as part of University. This trip was a good source of information to see the standards in one of the most popular health farms in the UK. Because of this, we all had very high expectations. Unfortunately these were not all met. I found that the range of facilities were lacking and for that reason I spent very little time in the spa area, and spent more time in fitness classes. These classes were sufficiently challenging and a good way to break up the trip. As a part of the visit, we all received a treatment. This gained very mixed reviews from all students due to which therapist they had and what treatments they usually enjoy. I found the experience at Champneys to be eyeopening. It was interesting to see what made the spa so popular from a professional point of view, and look at how it could be improved according to current trends and consumer demands.

Buxton Spa and Wellness Conference
The Buxton Spa and Wellness Conference is an event held by the university at the Devonshire Dome. It gives students the opportunity to listen to key note speakers across the industry on a variety of topics which can be contextualised, used to expand knowledge and possibly aid work in the future. In comparison to last year, I was able to choose the workshops I attended more strategically based on what I have learned in the past year and found an interest for. For example, I chose to attend a retailing workshop with Tracy, Caudalie's marketing coordinator, because I wanted to improve my retailing percentages in the spa as well as just learn more about their key products and why they sell the way they do.
I also went to a discussion panel. The panel consisted of managers of well known spas based in both the UK and abroad. I chose to attend this panel because I was in the process of applying for sandwich year placement and I knew I would benefit from asking the professionals what they look for in a candidate, and what sets you apart from others. I found this panel extremely helpful, and took on board a lot of the comments made such as using your passion to your advantage and getting as much experience in as many roles as possible in order to develop yourself both personally and professionally.

Industry Networking Day
This day was a chance to meet potential employers for both placement as well as after university. I know that I could have done a lot better on this day. Personally, it is a challenge of confidence and being able to promote myself as the good therapist that I know I am. However, when in a room with other therapists that may have more training and experience than myself, I find myself worrying that I wont be considered against someone else. However, I now know that I just need to put myself forward and see what happens because my passion and enthusiasm for the industry and the fact that I have been able to develop so quickly will work in my favour.

Barcelona Placement
This year I had the challenge of finding myself a placement for my sandwich year starting in September. I spent a few months searching employment and networking platforms such as Hosco and LinkedIn. When i had no luck finding exactly what I was looking for, I decided to contact potential employers directly. I knew that I wanted to spend my placement in Barcelona in order to improve my Spanish and learn about the way spa is received in other cultures. Because of this I looked into spa hotels in the area and sent my CV to the recruitment departments. For me, this was a big step in building my confidence because it enabled me to show my professional side through my CV before being offered a Skype interview and conveying my passion and desire to work in the industry. I eventually got offered a placement in the Majestic Hotel and Spa in Barcelona. A 5 star establishment which holds a high reputation in the area, with competition such as the mandarin oriental being very close by.

SWOT anaysis

A SWOT analysis allows me to monitor how I am progressing through my career and what threats and opportunities develop throughout my university studies. This will serve as the basis for my action plans in the coming months as well as over the next couple of years, allowing me to keep track of my progression.

PDP Hours

The majority of my hours gained came from my shifts in the spa. The rest of the hours consisted of other events such as the spa conference and the university trip to Champneys

 TOTAL PDP HOURS: 320 hours 45 minutes*

*Some unsigned

Action Plans

My action plans will help me throughout the year as well as throughout my next two years of my university career. By working to these action plans and coordinating them with my SWOT analysis, I should see significant improvement.

Confidence

Supervisory Skills

 Interview Skills

 Time Management