Samuel
Hanzlik
Melbourne - Australia
Elsternwick Fine Wines
The pavilion is a first-class seafood dining destination located on the southern tip of New Zealand. Here I worked in nearly every aspect of business operations. I served as a waiter, front of house representative, assisted the chef, worked with the owner on promotional strategies, and anything else that simply needed done. Working a Jack –of-all trades role at the Pavilion allowed me to see how all aspects of a business need to coincide in order to achieve the best results.
Server
Elsternwick
Fine Wines
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Bartender
While working at Etihad Stadium I served as a bartender. More specifically I worked in the Medallion Club, which is a luxury and corporate sponsor area located at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne Australia. I was mainly in charge of pouring and serving drinks to customers. By far the best skill I learned in this role was how to maintain composure and orderliness in a high-paced and stressful environment (an environment I learned was easily found at an Australian Footy match).
Advertisement Sales Consultant
I served as the Advertisement Sales Consultant for Cranford Co. on the Arkansas River Valley Tri-Peaks account. The Arkansas River Valley Tri-Peaks Association promotes tourism to five counties in the state of Arkansas. My role on the account was to reserve ad space or the 2017 Arkansas River Valley Tri-Peaks brochure. The process of completing this project consisted of learning about the region and identifying potential advertisers in the industry, After this I approached prospective clients and communicated the specific benefits they would receive by advertising in the Arkansas River Valley Tri-Peaks 2017 brochure. Finally I would close the deal by receiving a contract and payment. Working this role allowed me to learn what it takes to be successful in sales and how the advertising process takes place in the tourism industry.
I served this role at The Ridges, a premier golf destination located within Village Creek State Park in Arkansas. I wore many hats in this role and primarily answered customer inquires, processed payments for customers, managed and accurately reported inventory, club maintenance and repairs, and gave tours of the area to visitors. Along with these responsibilities I also assisted in the coordination of golf tournaments and generally assuring that customers had the best experience at our course as possible. Working this job opened my eyes to what it takes to work in a government run business and the need for proper financial reporting while adhering to specific a list of standards and practices. Also, growing up loving the game of golf, this job showed me that in order to maximize potential, it is essential to work in industry you truly have a passion for.
Facility Operations
I spent the vintage season of 2014 in Marlborough, New Zealand making wine with Saint Clair Family Estates. I was in charge of executing precise instructions and essentially performing all the tasks associate with red wine-making from grape to bottle (specifically Pinot Noir). Working in this environment requires extensive teamwork and communication, something as small as sloppy handwriting could ruin thousands of gallons of product. Here I learned just how important effective communication is in order to ensure all the tasks are completed accurately and on time in pursuit of a common goal.
Wine Maker
Wrenco Produce is a family owned produce farm that grows, packs, and distributes fresh produce throughout Australia. My tasks with Wrenco Produce consisted of ensuring the quality work was being performed by all employees and each days orders were filled accurately and packaged correctly. While working here I began to understand the true importance of quality leadership. Having a superior who took a real concern for the well-being of her employees while working personally to resolve any individual issues, resulted in a very positive work environment that produced consistently good results.
Packhouse supervisor
In this role I was in charge of inventory management, customer service, sales and promotion, financial reporting, and general operations management. Being a foreigner, I had little knowledge of Australian wines. Although stressful at first, I diligently researched the industry to better assist customers with recommendations and inquiries. From this I witnessed the extreme importance of product knowledge in order to help understand what customers really want and how to best meet and exceed their expectations.