Jinhao (Chris) Shen

What I worked on

During this internship, I was primarily responsible for daily tasks such as front desk reception, taking orders, beverage preparation and customer service, and also learned the basic coffee-making process (a basic requirement work for front-of-house members).

In addition, I completed a social media marketing project for the café, which included analysing our existing Instagram content, researching social media case studies from other successful cafés, shooting product photos and short videos, and proposing some feasible content optimisation suggestions based on the café's specific circumstances.

Skills I used (and grew)

How AUT prepared me

During my studies at AUT, I was exposed to courses related to hotel operations, marketing, innovation and social media marketing. This content provided me with a lot of underlying logic regarding the relationship between hospitality and marketing, giving me a basic understanding of the industry before entering practical work. Although there are many differences between the classroom and the real work environment, the analytical skills, teamwork skills and problem-solving thinking I developed during my internship have enabled me to adapt more quickly when facing actual work.

Especially in social media projects, I was able to apply the marketing knowledge I learned in class to think from the customer's perspective about how a coffee shop should present its brand, rather than just focusing on posting more content. At the same time, my study habits led me to consult materials more frequently, analyse problems more carefully and be more open to different voices (feedback). All of these helped me continuously adjust my ideas to make the project more in line with the actual needs of business operations.

What I learned

The biggest takeaway from this internship was the stark contrast between the realities of workplace operations and classroom simulations. Often, there isn't a single, absolutely correct answer to the ‘ideal outcome or task’ at work. Instead, one needs to constantly adjust their approach based on customer needs, teamwork and the actual business situation.

During this period, I not only improved my communication and teamwork skills with customers but also learned how to prioritise tasks during busy times, maintaining service efficiency and accuracy. In completing the social media project, I also realised that a good idea isn’t necessarily suitable for actual operation. What is more important is to consider whether it can be truly and efficiently executed and create value for customers and businesses, thereby more effectively helping the organisation achieve certain goals and expectations. These experiences have given me a more realistic understanding of my future career in the hotel industry and have made it clearer what skills I still need to improve.

My tip for other students

I believe the most important thing is to remain proactive, positive and humble. Don't just complete the tasks assigned in class; instead, try to participate as much as possible, observe more and try more. When I first entered the workforce, I inevitably exhibited some newcomer behaviours (such as nervousness) and encountered unfamiliar work content, but these are all part of the learning process.

If given the opportunity, I hope future interns will actively seek guidance from mentors, colleagues, and supervisors, and not be afraid to express their ideas. Because through continuous communication and receiving feedback, you’ll learn a lot of real-world work experience that you can't get in the classroom.

Much of the knowledge gained in the classroom can’t be directly applied to actual work. Only by truly applying it in the work environment can one understand the difference between theory and reality, and these experiences will become valuable lessons for your future career development.

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