Isla Kruskopf-Rayner

My position at Silky Otter Cinemas requires me to be customer facing, be mindful of my approach towards patrons and ensure they have the best cinema going experience on offer.

In this role, I have become familiar with POS systems, trouble shooting technical issues and facilitated streamlined communication between staff and our consumers.

This position also covers a multitude of other aspects, equipping me with skills and knowledge of - but not limited to food safety, barista training, sales, health and safety and commercial cleaning.

At Silky Otter, I can work in a team or be completely self sufficient depending on what demands need to be met.

In early 2024, I was offered a promotion to Prep Leader within Silky Otter Wigram.

This role included training up new staff, ensuring our service was time efficient whilst also maintaining Silky Otters standards with quality checks, monitoring stock levels and reporting back to managers when ordering was necessary.

This role helped me learn and refine my communication to my staff, better my time management skills and preform well under immense pressure as Prep is a fast paced work environment with little to no room for mistakes.

In this time, I also studied and gained my Liquor license with the support of my employers.

I took on the role of Acting Duty Manager as I am always seeking a challenge.

As well as running the site and systems, my role requires me to monitor SPAs and admits, labour costs and making adjustments where needed.

I have become confident when handling escalated customer issues, ensuring a prompt but satisfactory resolution for all parties involved.

Facilitating open communication among the staff I deem very important, allowing honest feedback and therefore building rapport is key to ensure the site is running smoothly.

Allocating roles/duties to staff and ensuring their performance meets Silky Otters standards/quotas.

While stepping into this role was challenging at first, this has aided me in furthering my technical skills, handling funds, ensuring im providing a safe environment for my staff and guests to inhabit as well as building my confidence in myself.

Permanent Part-time Nanny for 2 children aged 16 months & 4 years old.

During my time in this role, I ensured I developed a relationship with the children to create a nurturing, safe and enjoyable environment to promote emotional and social skills, asking about interests and engaging in conversations.

I reinforced appropriate discipline and guidelines for children according to parents' specifications and requests.

I taught age-appropriate hygiene skills such as washing hands before eating, support in toileting, dressing the children. I also educated further regarding organizational skills to maintain a safe household and teach self-responsibility.

I prioritized children's safety at all times. i.e; choking hazards, outdoor play, wet areas.

This role also required me to monitor children's health and wellbeing due to specific medical conditions, providing medications, heat/cool relief and downtime when needed.

I developed and enjoyed a professional, and over time, personal relationship with parents and children alike, which included feedback, transparent communication and laughter.

On call respite carer for 15 year old female with intellectual disability and ADHD.

Challenges I faced within this role included, managing challenging behaviours such as aggressive outbursts, the need to evaluate risk to themselves, potential damage to person or property, lack of cognitive understanding and the need to prompt eating, toileting and personal hygiene.

In result, I learned to role-model staying calm, allowing space when safe, use distractions and opening up conversations. Additionally, when appropriate, praise and positive reinforcement.

Within this role, I developed a deep sense of empathy and clearer understanding for persons with intellectual disability's and continue to educate myself where I can.