Matthijs Hulst (2002) has been working at Mitland for a year alongside his studies in business administration. He enjoys the variety, the contact with guests and the team feeling.
"I ended up at Mitland through my friends. They told enthusiastic stories about the pleasant working atmosphere and that you work here with many peers. I also wanted to try something new after working at a supermarket. Working at Mitland is much more varied. It's nice to be at the bowling alley, especially during the busy evenings with lots of students. Then we can play a bit with the music and mainly play sing-alongs. Those are great nights. It's also nice to stand in the restaurant or behind the bar making cocktails. No two days at Mitland are the same. It was only the first time I was given final responsibility during an evening. As a supervisor you are then the point of contact for complaints or problems and make sure everything runs smoothly. You have a lot of contact with the guests. When I'm behind the bar, I have great conversations. I remember well that during my first day at the restaurant I had to serve a table with four lawyers. I was still fidgeting a little awkwardly when opening the wine bottle. Then they inquired if I had just worked here and I stood at their table talking for maybe 15 minutes. They were very interested. You don't have that easily at other workplaces.
Before you start your first working day at Mitland, you will first take a short internal online course in which you will be introduced to daily practice in various modules. So you know what to expect in practice. If I don't know something yet, I can always ask my colleagues. Mitland not only employs many young people, but also experienced workers from whom you learn a lot. We have an ideal mix. In the restaurant we work with a handheld, which is a device with which we can easily take the guests' orders. There is a handy search function on it, so you can quickly look up a particular drink, for example, when someone asks for it. We are not shocked by all this new technology, because we grew up with a smartphone in our hands. An experienced colleague warned me when I started that it can "spook" during the busy evenings on weekends. Then sometimes we really have to run in the back. But I don't think stress is a problem. It makes you sharp. Afterwards it feels good when such a hectic evening has gone well, because we have fought as a team. The closing drinks with colleagues are then even more fun. Because at Mitland we always end the evening together. I missed something like that when I was working at the supermarket. Just a chat. The closing drinks enable you to get to know your colleagues much better and create a team feeling. The working atmosphere at Mitland is very pleasant. There is room for a joke, but we are also serious when we need to be and very friendly towards guests. Everyone does their utmost to meet the guests' wishes. Yes, I will continue to work here for a while.