Laura Matthews

Main duties include serving food and drinks, ensuring all customers are satisfied and taking food orders. As a manager on some shifts I must make sure the waiting on staff and kitchen are working as a team, a sound level of customer service is maintained and also hold responsibility for cashing up and locking the premises.

My time at Dr Oetker started off as a 4 week internship where I spent time working in several departments (data, manufacturing & engineering) but my contract was extended until the end of November to carry out a full stores audit in the engineering department. This involved counting parts, organising them, creating labels and signs and inputting the data onto an excel spreadsheet and MP2. I also made use of my language skills by translating German power points and documents for my colleagues.

This nine month placement not only gave me a sound insight into working abroad in a teaching environment but also enriched my cultural awareness of Germany and proves that I can adapt to new and changing surroundings. My time as a language assistant allowed me to develop valuable skills; communication and interpersonal skills, team work (through team teaching and participating in the school’s Comenius Project), self-organisation and time management skills plus resourcefulness.