Pull quote: If it wasn’t for the amazing training, I wouldn’t be where I am today

CELTIC Manor conference and banqueting floor manager Azmat Amin has been enjoying his time working at the five-star Newport resort due to the day to day mix of activities within the job.

Azmat, aged 25, from St Julians, Newport, who has almost completed his seventh year at the resort, is very pleased about where his job has taken him and is constantly looking to the future and to how far his career will grow.

He said: “I started off as a casual conference and banqueting associate, I was studying at the time but the position was very flexible and accommodated my studies.

“I was unsure what I wanted to do after my studies but I quickly realised that the Celtic Manor had set me on a good path for my future and I am very pleased about that.”

Azmat remains impressed with the sheer variety of things on offer at the resort.

“The thing I enjoy most about working here is the diversity of it all. I am very proud of what we have to offer and I enjoy presenting that to our customers to exceed their expectations.

“Conferences can be very diverse in themselves also. They can start from ten people, and range all the way up to 1,500 and beyond. These events could one day be a large gala dinner and then another day we could be holding a more intimate wedding. I know it has been said before but it is true, no two days are ever the same here. That especially applies to the conference and banqueting areas.”

He is also happy about the training on offer to all employees at the resort.

He said: “If it wasn’t for the amazing training here, I wouldn’t have been able to develop to where I am today.

“The Celtic College has given me the qualifications I need to be in the position that I am currently. I think as long as you have the right attitude and you’re passionate about the work, qualifications can always come while you’re in the role. They don’t necessarily have to come before.”

Having been working at the Celtic Manor for almost seven years, Azmat has worked during both the Ryder Cup and the Nato summit.

“I am proud to say that I was here for the Ryder Cup. I still have to pinch myself to remind me that I really was there serving coffee to the President of the USA, Barack Obama. That is definitely one of the highlights of my career here.”

Azmat has nothing but praise for Celtic Manor Resort.

“I would thoroughly encourage friends or anyone else interested to apply for a job here. Purely because the Celtic Manor is so unique as a destination. You just won’t get the same experience anywhere else. I really do think that it would be foolish not to apply," he said.

“Teamwork is very important, without teamwork we simply would not be able to operate effectively. The teamwork aspect is so good at the Celtic Manor that members of different areas, for example front desk, all join in and help each other out too.

“As well as everything else that makes me enjoy working here so much, there are also the fantastic staff benefits. They start from free meals provided on shift, discounted gym membership, discounted room rates and activities and range all the way to getting half price deals at the restaurants here.

“There is basically an endless list of advantages to getting a job and forging your career here at Celtic Manor Resort.”