World of Work!

May I say what a wonderful week I had on Work Experience in Avoca! I can't compare my last one in Roly's to it because they were so different but both so amazing! I want to say before I begin if anyone is looking for a place to go on Work Experience I would most defiantly reccommend Avoca. There are several different Avoca's situated around the country (and in the US and the UK which I discovered on the job!) But I wa sin the one in Suffolk Street, in Dublin City! The people there were so inviting and friendly, I have never met a group of people that were so kind and welcoming.
     The first morning I have to say, I wasn't as nervous as I was going in to Roly's, my last placement. I felt I had the experience of dealing with new people and dealing with the fact I wouldn't know everything straight away. I was also much calmer because I had met the Store Manager through obtaining the placement so I knew who to go to and where to go. I was in at nine o'clock and began at ten. I spent the first half of the day pricing flowers (the fake ones!), which to some may sound kind of boring but I really loved it! I got to learn how to use new technology (the pricing machine) and it really was so interesting to learn how things were done in the shop. There was two other girls working with me, so we took lunch together and it was great to meet new people and I was so happy that there was other people there to work with! I was then given the role of clothing manager while the actual manager was on her lunch. This part I absolutely loved! The instructions I was given was to make sure the customers were kept happy and ask anyone were they okay and help them if they needed it. I was so happy because I worked with a women who was interested in a cardigan & asked for my opinion and then she bought it! I felt so proud
      The second day was probably another really exciting day because it was the first stock delivery of the week. Each week there are two deliveries; one on Tuesday and Thursday. Our job was to sort out all the stock and take everything out of the boxes, put half of the stock on trolleys for the floor and the rest of the stock to the stock rooms. The first couple of boxes I had to sort through were all stationary and I had to use the pricing machine again, wahoooo! So much fun! I also had to count all the stock and make sure the right amounts had been delivered as it said on the invoice. I felt so in charge!
     Wednesday there wasn't anything extremely different to the other days but Thursday was a day I was pleased with. I was asked to come in at nine, although we were meant to start at ten. The Store Manager asked me to come in and manage the kids department until someone got in to take over at eleven. It was another thing which I felt so in charge of and proud that she had asked me to come in! I just had to keep the floor tidy and help any customers if they needed it once again. It was my first day up in the kids departments so I had to get used to my surroundings but it didn't take long J I then spent the day with the manager helping with the main floor displays, which was also pretty fun because we got to change around the displays completely and the manager was so nice, she was almost like a friend than a boss!
      When I applied for Avoca, I was hoping to be involved in the culinary aspect - in the kitchen or the food hall & I wasn't expecting to be involved in the retail sections as much, so I asked could I spend a day in the kitchen and I was allowed to on the Friday morning. I went straight up the kitchen that morning and got an apron and hat and looked just like a little chef! © I was put with the pastry chef, who surprisingly enough was a past student from my school! So we had plenty to talk about. I got to get involved with baking the breads and cakes for the café and other small preparations that had to be done. The pastry chef told me that she and her colleagues had to work eight hours a day but could start at different times and as early as they wanted in the morning, for example if you started at six o'clock you would be finished by two. She had started that morning at seven so she was finished by three, and so was I. It seemed so early to be finished because I was used to finishing at five or six! So I decided I wasn't ready to go home and went down and finished off my day in the shop. Before leaving the Manager spoke to me and told me she was going to take my details and call me any time they needed me or were short staff! J J J I WAS ECSTATIC! She asked me to come in that Sunday and work for her because she was short staff, it felt so great getting up that Sunday morning and saying that I was 'going to work'!

I would 100% recommend Avoca as a Work Experience placement. Well actually I would 1000000000% recommend it! It's such a friendly working environment and the workers are young which is great because they can help you and understand more than older employees would. 


I cannot wait to go back to work for them again, and if any of you guys have any questions  about it just comment!

I © Avoca!

PS. Could you guys read this blog post really quickly if you have the time written about Kony 2012!

Kony 2012 Blog Post

Talk Soon ©

"Rolling, rolling, rolling down to the bistro!" - Roly's Bistro, Work Experience

Honestly, I don't know where to begin with this amazing experience. I rememeber this time last year reading the Transition Year's blogs about Work Experience and my excitment and anticipation for my week & I can safely say that it definalty lived up to my expectations! I was working in a gorgeous restaurant - Roly's Bistro in Ballsbridge, Dublin. I really don't think I could have been more pleased with my week!

  I was so anxious the first day; 'Was I dressed appropriatly?', 'Was I going to be spending my week washing dishes?', 'What was the staff going to be like?'. Literally thousands of worries running through my mind. But as soon as I stepped foot into the restaurant I calmed myself. I  couldn't believe how friendly each worker was & even more so my superviser. I was brought to the bakery the first morning, believe it or not! How lucky? The smell was unbelievable and again everyone was so welcoming. It ended up that the baker in there was from the same town as me! I was straight into work - no waiting around! I honestly expected to be treated and seen as a nusance & that I was more in the way than anything else but I was given the responsibility of so many desserts that day - my spcialty was 'Bread and Butter Pudding' which I had mastered on that first day! Warning: This will get your mouth watering!

I also made Cheesecake, Pavlova, Breakfast Compot (which is mixed berries, yogurt, museli & fresh fruit in one small cup) and cute individual Apple Pies to name but a few! I was off at a reasonable time - just 2 O'Clock and so I had the rest of the day to massage my feet!

   The second day I arrived in and went for the bakery again, but I was able to stay a little while longer and have a couple of tasters through out the day! One of my jobs was to sort the "Tapas" & my oh my was I glad I was given that job! They were miniature desserts, like mini cheesecakes, bonoffie pie, eclair's! Yuuuum.
   On the third day I headed to the main kitchen, which was where there prepared the vegetables, soup, casseroles all the foodstuuf that can be prepared in advance. It was a tough day, on the feet and there is so much to be done, you wouldn't believe. For spinach alone there is so much involved - by taking out the stalk from the middle. And it's spinach! Not including the mushrooms, peppers, garlics and the onions (I was blubering the entire time!) Tears were literally falling from my eyes. Onions and I really don't have the best relationship!
    I've been dying to talk about my last day! My most exciting and FAVOURITE day! I was down again in the preparation kitchen and then my all time favourite part of the day - I went up to the serving kitchen. OH MY GOD! That's all I can say. I must admit that it was tough and I felt a little awkward at the start but once I came to terms with the way the kitchen worked I felt so much more at ease. I was put on starters and helped the chef prepare all the starters. It was so thrilling to get the orders in and have to count how many of what dish was needed, any special requests and so on. I couldn't believe how much I loved it! I prepeared dishes such as pigeon, paté, crab cakes.. food that you'd never think of preparing! I was then put onto *drum roll please* DESSERTS! And boy were they delicious :) I got to prepare cheesecake, pavlova, crumble & a knickerbocker glory - something to suit everyone! Delicious delicious food, and I'll be heading back sometime soon because my supervisor have me a gift of a dinner for two (which means people gotta be nice to me and maybe give me a chocolate bar some days!) I was in until 11 o'clock that night, but it was most defaintly worth it. I gained so much experience and now know that I am sure to do something along those lines when I'm older.

Check out Roly's website: http://www.rolysbistro.ie/

and the delicious food!

P.S.! OMG can't believe I forgot to mention this, but the list of celebs that have eaten there is endless - from Colin Farrell to Sarah Jessica Parker! And the Red Hot Chilli Peppers were in the week before me, so dissappointed - did they not know I was going to be there the next week?

I would definalty reccommend Roly's as a Work Expereince placement for anyone interested in that forte :)

Talk soon xo

Well that's a first...

I know, I'm terrible! I haven't been blogging in such a long time & it actually feels great blogging again! And it's really not like i have nothing to blog about, in the next couple of days I'll hopefully have a fair few blogs posted of all our TY doings.. Work Experience, "Don Giovanni" opera, MUSICAL (!) & overal TY happenings. Gonna begin my bloggin blitz, wish me luck :)

xo