Task l

There are many opportunities available for a good secretary. A company will be only too pleased to promote a secretary to personal assistant or even higher if she has proved to be capable of more responsibility. The appointment to a higher position may be subject to a reference from the person’s present boss, who should make sure the necessary information is received prior to interview by whoever is concerned with interviewing for the promotion.

The more a company offers to its employees, the more it should expect to receive in return. I believe sufficient thought should be given to developing a structure of promotion which will apply to all.

Task 2

The hotel industry has suffered from the present recession just the same as everywhere else. Ordinary people no longer have as much money to spend and businesses are curtailing the activities of their reps and senior staff. Hotels have to try to compete with one another for their share of the market. It is said, however, that next year should see an upturn in the economy.

Task 3

The Fortune Hotel is one of a group of hotels owned by the Broker Group. It is set in the midst of East Anglia, near to the coast and the Norfolk Broads. The surrounding countryside shows rural England in the very best light. The town of Holt has a character all of its own. Many individual specialist shops sell a wide variety of goods and the Georgian facade of the buildings is an extra attraction. Every shopping need is catered for here, and back at The Fortune, every comfort is provided for your East Anglian holiday or business visit. We are sure that when you leave you will take home many pleasant memories.

THE COUNTRY BAR

The Country Bar at The Fortune Hotel offers residents and non-residents an opportunity to relax in a restful, friendly atmosphere. The décor is designed to produce a feeling of well-being and tranquillity. No expense has been spared in supplying the lavish upholstery and curtains. All in all, the Country Bar is the place to be.

Task 4

STARTING A NEW JOB

Points to Remember

Arrive early and report to the person you have been asked to see.

Take a notebook and pencil with you and make notes on anything relevant you are told on that first day. Although you might think you will remember you probably will not.

Try to be friendly to everyone. Make a mental note of names as you are introduced to people.

Always ask if you are given something to do that you do not understand. A person who has performed a particular task for many years will not stop to think that you might find it hard to pick up at first.

Do not panic if everything goes wrong on your first day. Give it time and all will be well in the end.

Task 5

THE FORTUNE HOTEL, HOLT, NORFOLK

Set in beautiful East Anglian countryside, The Fortune offers the perfect combination of peace and quiet with excellent amenities.

ROSE BOWL RESTAURANT

Our Restaurant is well-known throughout the area for its fine cuisine and appealing décor. Meals are reasonably priced, and on a Saturday night dinner can be combined with dancing in the Pullman Suite afterwards.

PULLMAN SUITE

Apart from our regular dances, the Pullman Suite is available for private hire. It has its own bar and a superb dance floor. We can arrange a band or disco, or you can provide your own.

COUNTRY BAR

If you like a quiet drink in a restful atmosphere, or perhaps a light snack at lunchtime, then the Country Bar is the place to be.

Task 6

ANNUAL CHARITY FUN DAY

The Fortune Hotel is planning to hold its fourth Annual Charity Fun Day on 1 August 20—, commencing at 1100 hrs.

Admission is £2.00 for adults and £1.00 for children under 14.

This year all proceeds will go to Cancer Research. Even the professional acts are giving their services free of charge, so we hope to make as much as possible for this worthy cause.

There will be a variety of stalls. There will also be a bouncy castle, pony rides, full catering facilities and a car boot sale.

All the facilities of the hotel will be available to everyone for the day, including the swimming pool, although an extra charge will be made for this.

Tickets are available now, direct from the hotel. Admission will be by advance ticket only, so make sure of yours now as numbers are limited.

The Fortune Hotel’s Charity Fun Day should prove to be the best local event of the year. See you there!

Task 7

CURRICULUM VITAE

Many job advertisements today ask for a Curriculum Vitae to be sent by way of application. A Curriculum Vitae actually means the course of your life. The term is frequently shortened to CV. Your CV should contain personal details such as date of birth, address, nationality, interests etc, as well as details of your education, examination results and any past job experience. If you have worked in the holidays mention this too. It should also contain the names and addresses of two referees, one of whom should be your present or past employer. If you have not been employed before, give the names of two people who have known you for a long time and can at least vouch for your character. Your Headteacher would be a good place to start. Whoever you give as referees, do remember to ask them first as this is common courtesy.

Write out your CV in rough first, amend where necessary, and then produce the final copy. It is worth taking the time and trouble to prepare a neat and accurate CV. It is the first point of contact with your prospective employer, and even if you are not experienced, a neat and tidy, well-presented CV will impress. Obviously, as you gain more qualifications or job experience you should amend your CV accordingly.

Accompanying your CV should be a brief covering letter explaining where you saw the advertisement and why you are interested in the vacancy.

Task 8

INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE

If your CV impresses your prospective employer, you will receive a letter or telephone call asking you to attend for interview. Assuming you accept this invitation, you can help yourself by doing a little research in advance. Find out what you can about the company in question, what they do, how many employees etc. Make sure you know where their offices are, and find out about transport times if you are not travelling by car. If necessary do ‘trial run’ first to check how long the journey takes.

When you attend the interview you should arrive just two or three minutes early. Earlier than that and you will probably coincide with the applicant scheduled before you. Never arrive late. You will give a bad impression – the employer will assume you will always arrive late should you be employed by the company. Wear clothes that are smart and clean, but do not dress up to the extent that you feel uncomfortable. Never wear jeans.

First impressions count for a lot, so make them as good as you can. If you feel nervous, remember that the interviewer may feel nervous too, after all she or he is a human being just as you are. The important thing is not to let your nerves get the better of you. Try to keep calm and answer all questions put to you as well as you are able. Sound interested in what the interviewer is saying and try to contribute enough information for him or her to see that you would be suitable for the position on offer. When you are asked if you have any questions, make sure you can think of something to ask – it shows you have been listening.

When the interview is over, remember to thank the interviewer for his or her time.

Usually a successful applicant for a job is notified fairly quickly, either by letter or telephone; you could even be told straight away.

Good luck at interviews and in finding your dream job – or at least as near as you can get to it!

Task 9

SECURITY

Visitors Book

All guests must sign the Visitors Book on arrival, stating their name, address, and date and time of arrival. When checking out of the Hotel, the date and time of departure should be inserted.

Valuables

The Hotel accepts no responsibility for valuables left in rooms. A safe is available for guests’ use and no charge is made for this service. Please ask at Reception for details.

Theft

In the unlikely event that a guest notices any item missing from his or her room, this should be reported immediately, either to Reception or to the Hotel Manager.

Main Entrance Closure

The Hotel’s Main Entrance and Reception will be closed from midnight to 0700 hrs each night for reasons of security. Guests requiring access during these times should ring the bell at the Main Entrance and inform the Night Porter of their name and room number. As long as he is satisfied, access will be granted.

General Awareness

Guests should, at all times, look after their property and not leave bags and cases lying around in Reception or corridors. They should also immediately report any suspicious packages they see to Reception or a member of staff. Any person suspected of theft will be questioned by the Manager and, if necessary, referred to the Police.

Task 10

REPORT ON VISIT TO THE GEORGE HOTEL

I recently visited the George Hotel with the main aim of finding ways to improve our reception area. This was the first time I had been to the George since the opening of their new reception area in 2000.

My first impression was of a bright and welcoming entrance hall and reception desk, with elegant and comfortable furniture. The actual reception desk was much larger than ours, and housed many leaflets of local interest, as well as full information on all aspects of the hotel! There were two receptionists on duty and they both wore smart uniforms – much more up-to-date than our own.

Specific points of operation were as follows:

Guests are greeted at the door by a porter who introduces himself and then escorts them to the reception desk.

The receptionist books the guests in and gives them some verbal information on the facilities of the hotel. She then makes sure they have the opportunity to collect the relevant literature from the reception desk.

A porter escorts the guests to their room.

Arrangements for paper delivery, alarm calls etc, are made afterwards when either one of the porters or a receptionist visits the guests personally in their room approximately one hour after arrival and checks that everything is in order. At that time any special requests can be noted. Obviously, in addition, room service and telephone contact is available twenty-four hours a day.

A table has been prepared showing differences between our two hotels. I feel that certain of their policies should be implemented at The Fortune when we make our changes next year. Another visit nearer the time could decide specific ways to make improvements.