08.06.2011

I have been working since I was 12 years old.  Most of my jobs consisted of swim coaching, as that is my forte.  Yet, I also dabbled in an ice cream franchise, a “model” (that was literally my title) at Abercrombie & Fitch, a research assistant in the biology department at my university, and, now, at a hotel.  Obviously, I have the capability to do a number of different jobs. 

I have worked for about 11 years and have always began and ended in the same position.  Maybe my responsibilities changed or maybe I had more or less help from others, but always stayed with the same title.  On Wednesday, my boss told me I had a meeting on Friday with the general manager of the entire hotel…kind of a big deal.  I was scared out of my mind.  On top of it, since it was the three girls from reception, all that was going through my head were the multiple errors I have made, and which ones I could possibly have in common with my co-workers.  Nothing crossed my mind.

Friday came.  Literally all day I had that awful feeling of anxiousness…you know that feeling you get in your belly, where it feels like moths (not butterflies) flying around?  I thought that the meeting would have been all three of us young ladies together, but when I arrive at the hotel, my boss tell my co-workers to go to the manager’s office as he was waiting for her.  I geeked out.  Shazaam…he was going to fire us one-by-one.  When it was my turn, I arrived to his office as confident-looking as can be even though internally I was telling myself “don’t do it Gabi…don’t do it…don’t lose your cool…don’t curse this guy in English because he will understand every word of it…” (Maybe not THAT bad, but, I was freaking out.)

He sat me down as he was completing an email of some sort, turned to me, and began with “I know this has been difficult for you, and it is nothing of what we expected for you from the beginning…”  Obviously, not a promising start.  Right now, I am an eventual telephonist.  Basically, I am under a contract of a tertiary company (not the hotel) and my sole job is servicing the guests.  So, for them to let me go, it’s not that big of a deal.  But, this not-so-promising-start-of-a-conversation ended with a promotion!  So, not only will I become a receptionist (therefore, dealing with the guests, everything that has to do with money—charging for the guests’ stay, any consumption throughout the entire hotel, events, etc.—being aware of all administrative actions, taking care of reservations when the commercial department is not in session, etc.), but I will be under the contract of the hotel’s company and will be FULL-TIME!

In Argentina, it’s a big deal when someone becomes full-time because it costs the company more to fire you, as they continue to pay you for your past services.  Therefore, becoming full-time is more of an indication that the “big guys” have confidence in you to accomplish and succeed anything they may ask of you.  This is what makes me the happiest—that they believe in me.  It has been quite difficult, honestly.  I haven’t quite had the confidence working in the hotel as I really do not understand the system of hoteleria, I am not all that familiar with Mendoza as a whole, and, frankly, my Spanish is not perfect.  But, they believe in me.  So, after 11 years of working I am finally promoted!

K bye.