From Aberdeen to New York to Florida and back to Aberdeen
Joanne Taylor is the conference and banqueting manager The Chester Hotel and is responsible for events in one of the largest ballrooms in the city centre. She loves the ballroom so much, she held her own wedding reception there. Joanne explains how her career has evolved since she left school.
“Leaving school in 2010 and heading into the world of hospitality through my studies at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, I was not fully aware of the amazing adventure I was embarking on.
“Although I enjoyed my studies vastly, the skills I learnt through hands on training in the industry were invaluable. I started my career as a waitress before heading off for work experience to spend a year working in the USA at both an exclusive large resort in the Florida Keys and a small private country club in New York. It was during this time that I realised these career skills I was building could take me to a job anywhere in the world!
“After completing my studies, I was given a fantastic opportunity to participate in a graduate programme, learning skills in several departments of The Chester Hotel in Aberdeen. After just two quick years and a lot of patience, guidance, teamwork and most importantly fun, I found myself at the stage where I was ready to take on the responsibility of managing a large team and running one of the largest departments in the hotel as conference and banqueting manager at The Chester Hotel. It is truly thanks to the guidance and experience through my training programme that I was able to reach this level of management at such a young age (24). Six years later, I am still enjoying my time progressing and taking on new responsibilities at The Chester Hotel where no two days are alike. The world of hospitality is expanding and evolving so quickly, and I still feel a sense of excitement every day to see where my career can take me in this industry in the years to come.