Angela Yeung, receptionist, Golden Tulip hotel, Manchester

Angela Yeung is a receptionist at the Golden Tulip hotel in Old Trafford, Manchester.

She's worked at the hotel since she was a student at Manchester Metropolitan University between 2002 and 2005.

After completing her A levels, she made the decision to study international hospitality management at the university, and the course included a placement year in various roles at the Marriott Dearborn Inn in Michigan.

As well as the Dearborn, Yeung also spent time at the Renaissance Manchester hotel, where she worked as a waitress before her current role.

Reception work won her heart in the end, because she enjoys the chance to make a good first impression on guests, as well as often being their final point of contact with the hotel.

She has been a receptionist at Golden Tulip for more than a year now, but still finds the job challenging and exciting.

In her customer-facing role, Yeung enjoys having different problems to solve on a daily basis, something she admits she thrives on.

During her placement at the Dearborn, Yeung was impressed by the openness and friendly nature of the American staff she worked with, and has tried to incorporate an easy-going attitude into her day-to-day working style ever since.

She believes her degree equipped her well for her current role, but thinks that her previous experience in hospitality has proved to be indispensable.

"My degree did teach me a lot, such as service standards and procedures, but my placement in the USA was as valuable as the classroom," she says.

Her placement year fuelled Yeung's desire to travel, and she hopes to see more of Europe soon. "I want to experience the rest of the world, travelling and working at the same time," she says, noting that this was one of the main attractions of joining an international hotel group such as Golden Tulip.

In the future, Yeung is keen to take up a senior management role, such as operations manager or general manager, staying within the hotel industry and probably within a chain.

Until then, she says that her best piece of advice is to keep smiling through it all.

"It's so important in this job," she says. "Even if you're stressed or having to face nasty customers, a smile will help you cope."

BOXTEXT: Salary Watch: what reception managers should be earning

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