Career Change
13th January 2021
Well, what a strange old year! The pandemic has been tough on everyone. It has affected and made plans for all of us in ways that nobody could have predicted. COVID had some unfortunate plans for me – amidst all the madness. I, unfortunately, lost my dream job as an air hostess with one of the UK’s leading airlines. After spending 2 years studying travel and tourism and moving to Leeds last summer to complete my training, you can only image how devasted I was to find out I was being made redundant. However, I believe everything happens for a reason and I was lucky enough to have been chosen to work with this amazing lot – the Floors of Stone team. I am more than grateful for the memories, experience and friends this job has given me.
I had always had an interest in the travel industry from a young age, I used to find travelling so interesting and educational – I owe that to my parents for taking me on some amazing holidays! Whenever I would go abroad, I’d always look up to the cabin crew and think how much I would love to do their job. I never had much confidence as a child and so I never thought I would achieve my dream job by the age of 18. As I got older, the travel industry is something I lost sight of until it came to leaving school and thinking of my next steps in life. A few of my teachers had told me that I would be a lot better off doing A-Levels but I am so glad I chose to study travel and tourism as it led me to find a job that I love. College was definitely challenging, a lot changed in my life during my 2 years there but it all worked out in the end.
I actually applied for my job as an air hostess whilst I was on holiday, I couldn’t sleep one night and I saw they were advertising so I thought – why not? I never in a million years thought I would have progressed to the next stages. I thought it was going to be one of those jobs that you apply for but never hear back from. I got invited to a phone call interview and then got through to the group assessment day. This was so nerve-racking as there were about 30 other candidates all in the same position as me. I wasn’t very confident I would get the job as I didn’t think I stood out from the rest, but a few weeks later, I received the email to say I had been successful! After this, it was a rush to get all my college work completed and find somewhere to stay in Leeds for my month of training. Luckily, my good friend from college had also been offered the job and her lovely grandparents, who lived close to Leeds airport, said we could go and stay with them. They were so lovely and looked after me like I was their own. After I completed my training, it took about 2 weeks for me to get security clearance – then I was let loose in the aviation world! It was so exciting and I loved that I was getting paid for a job that I enjoyed so much – sometimes it didn’t even feel like work. As much as I loved it, there were downsides (as there are to pretty much any job). The hours were very long, it took a massive toll on my social life and I was put through some challenging situations, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I found out I was being made redundant in late April, which I was devasted about. However, a few months later, it led me to find an amazing company called Floors of Stone.
I had applied for a few jobs over lockdown, I stuck to those that sounded like something I would enjoy doing and still customer-based – as this is something I loved about my previous job. I came across Floors of Stone advertising for a sales assistant on Indeed and after having a read and google – I decided I was definitely going to apply. Luckily, my application was successful and I had an interview with the lovely Paul and Kathryn. They were so welcoming and down to earth, it definitely put me at ease and allowed me to be myself. I was invited in for a trial day which went well, I met all the staff who I now have the pleasure of calling my lovely colleagues. I have been here for over 6 months now and definitely feel like I have settled in. I know a lot more than I ever thought I would about flooring – I never thought floors would be the first thing I looked at when I entered a room! Cotes Mill took some time getting used to – the building is so big! I can assure you I got lost more than once. As for the people here – I am so lucky to work with such great individuals, they made me feel welcome from the minute I walked in and they continue to support me every step of the way. I have made friends for life and for that alone, I am so grateful. I love being in a job which is different to all the other jobs I have had; this is the first office job I have been in and it really isn’t as bad as I had always thought they were. It’s nice to actually have a bit of routine each week and get to know the surroundings and people. I could never thank Paul and Kathryn enough for the opportunity of working here.
As much as I miss being a member of cabin crew, I love my job at Floors of Stone and feel so lucky to be considered a part of the team.
