Dual Location Working Balancing Studies and Work

 

Tell us about yourself and when you joined Travelodge

I am from Hull originally and joined Travelodge in July 2024 as a Receptionist. I wanted to continue working alongside completing my Masters in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield, so I applied to transfer to Travelodge Sheffield, meaning I can now work at both Travelodge Hull and Travelodge Sheffield based on my term dates. 

What does your day-to-day look like at Travelodge?

My day-to-day can be anything from checking customers in and making sure that everybody is having a good stay, to working behind the bar, serving food and carrying out health and safety checks.

What do you love about the job and its flexibility? 

One of the best things about the job is that they can work around you – you don’t have to stick to one specific schedule. You could be working Monday, Friday, Sunday, one week, and then Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday the next week. Travelodge gives me the flexibility to balance my studies with work I truly enjoy. 

What are your career ambitions?

Anything media-related is my dream – video or radio production, or journalism.

What key skills have you learnt on the job that you think will help you in your future career?

I completed Travelodge’s in-house training programme, Aspire, which helped develop my skills in confidence and resilience. Without the skills I’ve learnt on the job, such as talking to and learning about people, I don’t think I would have been able to go out there and just ask people questions on the street. 

You see a lot of different people and different stories, which links with my journalism role as well, because I love finding out people’s stories. 

What have you found most beneficial about working at Travelodge while being a university student?

I’d say the flexibility this role offers and the amount of support that I get from the colleagues and the managers, we all want to succeed. I also love talking to people and welcoming people to the hotel, making sure that they’re having a good stay. 

How has working at Travelodge built your confidence, both at university and in everyday life?

Before joining Travelodge I was quite a shy individual but my confidence has really grown  and now I’m comfortable speaking to customers, that’s one of the best things about this job. You’re constantly meeting new people, and then you see your regulars as well that you’re on first name terms with, and it helps you build relationships and just have a chat.

How would you describe the team atmosphere and support across both of your hotels?

Everybody really made me feel really welcome – they welcome you into their little hotel family wherever you work.

In what ways does Travelodge make you feel valued as a student employee?

I do feel really valued at Travelodge – I’m not really seen as a student, I’m seen as an equal and we’re on the same wavelength.

How does Travelodge help you maintain a healthy balance between your studies, social life and earning money?

My courses were very stressful, to say the least. I liked coming to work at Travelodge and having that break to get my mind off of the deadlines. It’s really helped to earn more whilst studying, but also helped me with having a distraction from uni.

What would you say to another student who is thinking about joining Travelodge?

My main advice would be to go for it, dive in head first and enjoy every minute of it, because everybody’s so lovely. But it also helps with university work balance as well. You get a break from everything going on at uni, but it’s also fun because you’re meeting new people every day. You develop so many transferable skills, particularly your people and communication skills, as you’re constantly interacting with different customers and colleagues. There are also a range of training courses available at Travelodge to help individuals develop their skills and progress their careers further.