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So I got a promotion today! rofl
It's kind of weird..and it all happened so quick, but here it goes.
So I started my position as Sales & Marketing Coordinator back in June. Since then, we've had Chartres (our Owners) heavily involved in all aspects of our property. We've also had a shift in management...Joanne Cunningham no longer works for the company and we now have Jean-Mac Jalbert as our General Manager.
During July's monthly report (my first monthly report), Nitesh (Chartres) was on the call and expressed his disappointment in a) our lack of social media presence for large scale events - such as the DNC and b) our lack of taking full advantage of the DNC fanfare by live tweeting and live feeding the event.
Since then, it's almost been Shannon's mission and mantra to mention that our property does not have a person devoted to social media like the other three Blu properties do. Apparently around the time I got hired she was in the final processes of hiring a Social Media and Marketing Manager (starting salary was about 45k if I remember correctly) but apparently Anjali cut it and rather not dish out additional funds for the salary of a person who isn't selling room nights.
So I suppose as an adequate compromise between the two parties, Anjali, Jean-Marc, and Shannon all agreed to kind of merge my current position and the one that was cut by giving me a promotion and a raise and change my job title and description to focus more on social media and digital marketing. So I am now the Marketing and Social Media Specialist for the Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel, Philadelphia.
Me...a "Specialist" rofl
Bixch, the only thing I'm a "specialist" at is eating, sleeping, and watching pokemon rofl rofl rofl rofl
Alas, this is my life now. Basically, this all came to be because a) Shannon (and I) did not believe in working during the weekend as an hourly employee...that and companies these days don't believe in overtime b) The Philadelphia Style party is coming SOON and they want me to create a sort of social media campaign to capitalize on the publicity the event will be receiving (creating a campaign in less than a week....right xp ).
Shannon told me about it on Wednesday and asked how I felt. Honestly, I feel amazing. A bit nervous, seeing as how I'm still trying to learn my current position (that I've only held for three months sweatdrop ) which Shannon totally understood but I see it as a win of sorts.
Literally while I was down in Georgia thinking about my next steps. I thought that if I wasn't Social Media and Marketing Manager within the next year, I would definitely be moving on...and would start those steps by the new year. I was going to start revamping my resume, updating my LinkedIn, and getting those ducks in a row to start reapplying. As far as I was concerned...with "Sales and Marketing Coordinator" on my resume, I could very well get a call back from Sony Music or UMG. I was also thinking that by sometime in my 25th year I should be making at least $50k...no excuses. I went to school and paid a billion dollars so that's something that needed to happen. I didn't go to school to be making 35k a few years out. At that point, it wasn't at all about money or keeping up with the Jones' but moreso about meeting my standards and goals of where I felt like I should be in my career. All in all I'm very grateful. For this to happen so rapidly is nothing short of a testament of the plan that God has for each of our lives.
I mean...just two years ago...I had no job. I had several failed interviews, I was saying that I would pick up a rink dink job in Waldorf to shut my mom up and all the turmoil I was enduring inside with my heart living in pain here in Philadelphia...I felt almost hopeless. I wanted to work in a hotel...I couldn't do anything less than that so I was able to secure a job at the Country Inn and Suites, right next to La Quinta, my old stomping ground where Imani gave me a nice recommendation. I got into Country at $8/hr and found out that they were affiliated with Radisson. Then I started to formulate my next moves. I knew there was a Radisson in downtown Philly, and Ideally...by the top of the year i wanted to be in PHL working for the Radisson...and closer to Rob.
Low and behold....December 8th was my last day at Country and December 10th was my first at the Radisson-Plaza Warwick Hotel at $11.50/hr after securing my new job and a place to live. I gave myself another deadline...after six months...I definitely needed to either a) have a second job or b) be looking for a better job because $11.50 wasn't cutting it and I was working over two different shifts. Six months came and went as renovations into the upper upscale Radisson Bly brand commenced and even cut my scheduled work week down to three days a week, which was very rough. They wouldn't let me pick up hours in another department and I hadn't been there long enough to college unemployment. Ratsamy was gracious enough to give me one of her days so that we could each work four days a week and that barely took me through. It got to the point where I literally couldn't afford to by a McD meal or a Starbux coffee if I wanted to. sad The extra time off was nice though and I was able to spend a lot of time with Rob. During those times and subsequent summers got rather rough between us. Things aren't perfect now, but looking from where we've come from...I think we're making viable progress and I can't be anything but happy about that.
By June nothing was really happening...I had one interview for a second job at a fast service restaurant a few blocks away....but I hated it and they could tell I hated it so I never heard back from them. Low and behold...my good friend Derrick Lewis returned to Philadelphia after things didn't quite pan out in Winchester. I knew it was a good sign...but I didn't know how good it was. I figured that me and Derrick were good friends in college and had some fun times so I was excited to finally have a friend in Philadelphia again.
He got his job at the Courtyard back rather quickly and pulled me on the Marriott ship soon after finding out they were short staffed and just like that...by October I was making $15.50/hr. A decent increase. Germaine, my manager with Radisson who hired me, completely understood the dilemma I was facing and it was something that the department has been dealing with for years. Now with new management it's looking like the Front Office will finally get their raises...which is good. I'm glad JMJ really believes in paying his employees which is evident in my raise and the pending raises that will happen in the department.
Anyway, I got to the Courtyard to find out that Operationally, the hotel ran like a smooth sailing ship which was very different from what I was used to but that ship was tight...with a lot of rules to follow. It wasn't long before I got tired of that. I remember returning from Puerto Rico that January and giving myself another deadline, "Man, if I'm not out of here or at least on my way to being out of here by May/June...I might just kill myself."
Come May, the Lord did it again. By that time I've made quite a bit of money and had some fun traveling experiences with the extra money I was making working both at the Courtyard and the Radisson. I get an email that they were throwing a going away party for Tony and Kileeo. Now, I know Kileeo was leaving...but I had no clue Tony was too. I called Patty in HR the next day to see if they were going to reopen Tony's position. I knew that he was an intern and they hired him so I didn't know if they'd replace him.
So clearly the answer was yes, did the interview and was hired. Start date was June 5th (or something) making $16.50 and my last day at Marriott was late May. Now all of a sudden I'm the "Marketing and Social Media Specialist" making 40k a year.
Truly Blessed.
I remember how grateful I was just to get the Coordinator position because I was fed up with Front Desk and desperate. I was very grateful but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was just now making the money I should've been making right out of college, I mean...my internship the summer after my junior year I was making $14.74, so to have to go backwards and build back up to that was a little rough...but I think I'm now in the ballpark of where I envisioned myself being. I'm getting there and finally feeling....accomplished.
I'm just glad. I was almost starting to not feel the Coordinator position as much because although my job title was "Coordinator"...it was a fancy way of saying "Sales Admin" and to be honest...I didn't go to school to work Admin for anyone's Sales team. I hate every time Kelly Whitehead says that she's "Admin challenged" ....like "she can't do admin...it's a deficiency"....to me that translates as "I'm too good to do Admin work, I've never had to do Admin work, and I've always had the privilege of having someone do it for me." We all have to start somewhere...
So "admin" I guess is still a small(er) part of my job description but I have more to focus on now. I'm happy to be Shannon's admin, she's the Director of Sales and Marketing...but the rest of these bixches...get them an intern or something. talk2hand
So the Lord really does have a plan for all of us. I'm working in my field of choice. Everyone knows Journalism wasn't really doing it for me so PR/Marketing was next. PR was kind of.....bleh but Marketing as far as coming up with materials and campaigns to promote a brand to the masses seems like it could be right up my alley. And throw social media in there! Why not!
This promotion and raise is a gift from God that I do appreciate. It's not about the money or the status but more so about the learning experience and the chance to show what I'm made up. I pray everything works out.
I'm tired of writing since I told this whole story 4laugh but it was so relevant and so needed. I have a few things to mention for next time including: this campaign I'm working on...and Jacqui moving out! I need to call Dad and Donald and let them know what's going on wink
Love and Peace heart
Ryo
Mood: Elated 4laugh Music: "Time To Believe" - Forever Jones from Forever Jones
Ryonosuke · Sat Sep 13, 2014 @ 05:20am · 0 Comments |
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