My work placement here in Ireland is located near Kilkenny in a small town called Thomastown.

During my stay, I will be working at the office of John Paul Phelan. He is  Fine Gael T.D. and therefore chances are high that he might take me along to the Irish Parlament in Dublin.

My occupation consists of general administrative office work such as sorting files, answering phone calls (which can be a real challenge due to the Irish accent) or simply taking letters to the next post office to send them off.

I have two very, very nice colleagues called Fran and Pat. Pat is a politician as well which is why I will have the opportunity to be part of a councillor's meeting within the next couple of days.

All together, I am truly happy and excited about my job and I am sure that I will be enjoying the four weeks in the office - especially because of all the new experiences that I will be making!

 My work at the Newpark Hotel

The Newpark Hotel is one of the most famous hotels in Kilkenny. It is a four star hotel with a large Spa and a little farm. I´ve started to work at the Newpark Hotel on Monday morning.

I work at the little farm there and every morning I have to feed the animals with the children at 10 o´clock. After this I clean the cages, paint the chicken house or do what it has do to.

My favourite time is the feeding time. Here I can talk with the children and their parents and so I can improve my English.

I also like my colleagues very much -  they are all very open minded and friendly and we work well in a team.

I´m very happy that I get the opportunity to work at the Newpark Hotel and I´m going to enjoy the month at the hotel.

During our stay in Kilkenny I had the chance to work in one of the largest Physiotherapy. The operate from 3 different centres. I have worked at the main central. The team there exists of around 7 People.

My typical working day started at 9 o'clock until  5 p.m. Firstly i had too make a leaflet about the new Pilates courses which i can only recommend to you.  Most of the time i worked in the office at the computer. The people who worked there where all so nice. I also had to sweep the ground.

I'm glad that i was a part of the Kilkenny Physiotherapy.

Mug Shot Café

My work placement is located in the heart of Kilkenny. The Mug Shot Café provides everything your tummy is wishing for. From breakfast waffles, pancakes and sandwiches through to cupcakes, quiches and salads.

My work usually starts at 9:30 in the morning. My outfit consists of comfortable black shoes and an apron. At first, I have to fill up  beverages. In addition to that, I'm responsible for cleaning dishes, tables and floors. When the clock shows 1:00 p.m.  the "rush hour"begins. In this time I help the others serving meals. 

But it has also happened that especially elderly ladies needed my help in technical things like deleting messages on their smartphones. 

Furthermore, my colleagues want me to get used to the huge coffee machine. They say it looks good in every CV.

But why do I like this Coffee Shop? The most thing I enjoy here are the warm-hearted colleagues who are helpful, respectful and humourous to me. 

The Mug Shot Café closes at 5 p.m. So I am done for work then but the joy goes on at my host families place.

My Workplacement the "Kilkenny Design Centre" is located in the centre of Kilkenny City.

The big Restaurant has a lot of friendly employee's and customers. 

In my Workplacment i have a lot of things to do like

- wash dishes

- clean the tables

- sweep the floor

- check the toilets

- clean the toilets

- fold napkins

- preparing tea & coffee

- fill the glasses with water

- prepare cutlery

- prep food 

- mop the floor

- drying the floor

I am very happy to get the chance to visit Ireland and to get the experience that i need for my future. 

My workplace: The truffle fairy

The truffle fairy is a small chocolatier in Thomastown. You can buy truffles, cakes, bread or hot drinks. 

Now, I want to tell you about my workday.

My work starts at 10:00 am and ends at 04:00 pm. Mostly I refill the truffles on the plates for the customers or I pack the truffles in the blue boxes. Sometimes I take the orders from the customers but the most time the girl which works with me does that. In the Afternoon  I decorate the truffels or help to bake the cakes. 

I'm glad that I can speak to the people and learn something new like creating truffles or serving customers. 

I'm very happy that I have the opportunity to work at the truffle fairy with the friendly staff and the friendly customers. 

Danville Equestrian Centre

I work at the Danville Equestrian Centre which main task is to give around 50 horses a home. That amount of animals means a lot of things to do so the horses are happy. You have to mist out their stables also you have to feed them like 2 times a day. They also have some other tasks to do. They offer some packages for tourists to interact with the horses there.

I don't really have a main task to do there, I just try to help wherever I can. I hope these 4 weeks will be a great enrichment for me. 

My work placement at the Ormonde hotel. 

The Ormonde hotel is a very popular hotel located in the center of Kilkenny and famous for its weddings. 

In the hotel I work back at the office but also with the eventcenter. Here I have many different tasks to do and since it's only my 5th day here, I'm sure there's more to come! But for starters one of my main tasks yet is checking on the reservations made so that there are none mistakes but I also have to do classic paper work like filing and putting things in order. The best experience I made today though: I got the chance to help organise a wedding and I loved it! 

I really like my job here! There are always new things to learn and my business colleagues are very lovely and open minded. 

I'm really excited that I'm able to make this experience and I'm enjoying it a lot! 

My work at the Pembroke Hotel

The Pembroke Hotel is located in the centre of the city Kilkenny, Ireland. It is a four star hotel with a large bar and a tiny restaurant. I’ve started to work at the Pembroke Hotel on Monday morning. I have to do all the restaurant and bar work. The employers showed me everything and i have different tasks every day – but the things I have to do every day are:  I have to set the table for the dinner, take the orders and carry the drinks to the customers.

My favourite part of the work is the work at the bar. This is something completely new for me. I love the contact with the people at the bar because I can talk to them and improve my English.

I like ma colleagues very much – they are very open minded and we work well in a team.

So all together I am very happy that the Pembroke Hotel took me and I am going to enjoy the month at the hotel.

My work placement: Veri

Veri is located in Kilkenny near the College. I tis a company which digitise quality assurance and compliance from other companies.

At work I am responsible for the online marketing. I have already set up Google my Business account, Hootesuite, a new Facebook page, Google Alerts and a lot of other things. They gave me an introduction to the area of marketing and how online marketing works.

Furthermore I have to write blogs every week for their website and their online profiles such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. My main task is to run the online marketing. Weekly I have to give an overview of the progress of our company in the sector online (via Google Analytics).

I am so happy to work at Veri. My colleagues take care of me and it is a good working atmosphere. It is a great change to improve my business knowledge and to learn how a company runs.

My work placement in the Hotel Kilkenny!

The Hotel is located in the centre of the city Kilkenny, Ireland. It's a big Hotel, which includes a restaurant and a gym where I have to work. I have to work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

My tasks are:

- prepare and serve coffee

- wash the dishes 

- clean the tables

- check the changing rooms

- check the pool and Jacuzzi

- clean the area around the pool and Jacuzzi

- clean the fitness machines

- help the guests if they need something (for example: towels)

I work with six guys and two women in the gym and all of them are really friendly and help me wherever they can. I am very grateful for this incredible experience!

My work at the Cleere’s Bar and Theatre

The Cleere’s Bar is a very traditional and beautiful Irish Pub in Kilkenny. During the day you can also have lunch with some traditional Irish meals. The Cleere’s Bar is known in Kilkenny for having delicious soups.

My workday start at 11 o’clock, where my task is to prepare the pub for lunchtime. This means that I have to clean the floor and the tables, fill up the ice-cube box etc. At around 12 o’clock the owner John Cleere opens the pub for customers. From this time I have to take orders from customers and have to serve the food and drinks. At 4:30 pm my workday is finished.

I am very grateful, that I get the chance to work in a traditional Irish Pub. I like the atmosphere of the Pub and the staff is really friendly.

My work placement during our stay in Kilkenny is a café called "Orange Café" at the Danville Business Park. I am working as a coffeeshop assistant from 9am or 10am (it depends) to 4:30 pm.

My tasks are cleaning and setting up tables, doing the dishes, dropping the food to the tables and taking orders. Sometimes I also have tasks like cleaning cabinets and tidy them up.

I really like to work in this sweet, little café. Especially the staff there is great! And I'm sure that I will improve my English trough this job: I talk a lot to customers and my team. I'm grateful for the opportunity and happy to stay three more weeks :) I can just recommend coming Kilkenny for four weeks!

My beautiful working placement is at Ceramica Tiles, which the name says, trades with tiles but also with bathroom fittings like bathtubs, basins and more. I am responsible for Marketing and Administration.

Marketing

My responsibility is to upload photos on the companys facebook website and add different catchy slogans to the facebook posts. As the company is planning to create a new website I have the honor to create it together with a workmate and realize their ideas on the webpage with CMS. This is a good preparation for my oral exams in IT in the final year.

Administration

Apart from online marketing I also may file invoice piles. Since today (third day) I also organize the folders and catalogues by alphabet for a better overview.

Concluding, at my work I can be very creative and I am also able to organize things, what I am really keen on because I like if everything is clear.

I am happy to have such a great emloyer and the opportunity to improve my business know how through realizing the theory I have learned in school. Thank you for your support to enable such a great project. @Erasmus @LanguageXchangeIreland

During our stay in Ireland, I had the chance to work in a big 4 star hotel, which is called Hotel Kilkenny. I started to work there at monday morning, so they gave me a short overview of the hotel and then I began my first workday.

At first I worked at the bar, so I had to make sure that all customers are satisfied and the tables are clean. Since my second workday I am working at the restaurant of the hotel. Every morning, when the guests are having their breakfast, I have to clear the tables and prepare them for the next diners. After that I help my colleagues to prepare the tables for lunch, so I have to fold napkins and put the cutlery and the wine glasses on the tables. Of course I also have to do some cleaning work, just to keep the atmosphere fine.

I´m very happy to work there, because my co-workers are very friendly and I like the work in the restaurant. I think this is a great opportunity to improve my English.

I worked in the LARC (Loughboy Area Resource Centre) Childcare Kilkenny. The centre itself isn’t that big and during the summer-holidays there were not so many children. The childcare centre has 4 rooms – 2 for the younger kids (2-5) and 2 for the older ones (5-8). I worked in the rooms with the older kids and had to play with them. The team was really nice and helped me every time I was overwhelmed. I had to work from Monday to Tuesday from 9:30 to 15:30. Every day I had a break for 30 minutes. I am very grateful for this incredible experience and wish them all the best!

My work placement  in Ireland is the Fennelly fitness. This gym is owned by James Fennelly who was 5 times the strongest man of Ireland. As a member you can have an individual training with an personal trainer or taking part at the spinning courses as a group.

My work starts at 9:00 am and ends at 3 pm. Most of the time I work at the reception with Eamonn who is an employee. I'm greeting people and selling snacks and drinks. I'm also responsible for the hygiene. I have to clean up the studio and the other training rooms. Sometimes I'm also helping to order the folders. After work I'm also allowed to train.

I'm happy to work there because the employees are friendly and funny. During my work I speak a lot with the trainers and members so I can improve my english skills.

Please describe your workplace here.

My work in the New Park Hotel , Kilkenny! 

The New Park Hotel is a big and popular hotel near the center of  Kilkenny. Nearly everyday young couples want to celebrate their wedding in the wonderful and modern gardens of the hotel. 

The New Park Hotel also owns a leisure center called the Escape Health Club & Spa. That's my workplace, where I have to clean the reception, the ladies bathroom, the pool area the gym. I also have to make sure that the relaxation room is cleaned and ready for new guests. 

I also have to bring the dirty towels to the laundry and take back the washed ones witch I have to fold and put under the reception desk.

Sometimes I have the chance to check the pool water from all four pools with a special machine. 

I'm also allowed to use the pool, the gym and join the aqua aerobic classes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. 

My daily work at the „From Home 2 Home“

My work placement is located in Thomastown, a small town near Kilkenny. „From Home 2 Home“ is a small perschool.

Because of the school holidays there is just a summer camp, which consists of a little group of kids. The kids age range is from 4 to 11 years.

My work usually starts at 9 am. The first thing in the morning is to prepare their breakfast. After that I am playing with the kids. Its never getting boring because we do lot of differnet things, sometimes we make some oregami or going for a walk to the playground. When the sun is shining we are having some fun with waterballons. I also have to prepare their lunch and dinner. The end of my workingtime depends on how long the kids are staying

I work there with three other women, they are very friendly. I haven´t met „big boss" yet, because she is in America.

I really like to work here, every day is different. Therefore I get to learn and do something new everyday. The kids at the „From Home 2 Home“ are very lovely. I am really looking forward to next 3 weeks.

Due to the Ireland work exchange program, I had the chance to work at a Bar/Restaurant called "Paris Texas". I kinda felt like I got the golden ticket. All my workmates are friendly, very very welcoming, cooperatively and patient. 

I start work at 11am and finish at 5pm from Monday to Friday. Because of these hours of labor I can sleep long and also go out or spent time with my host family in the evenings. 

Usually I start my day with filling up milk cans and different juice bottles. Afterwards I clean the coffee and the water machine. I also tidy up the smoking area and prepare the crockery, till the first guests arrive. While my workmates start taking orders, I am sorting or polishing glasses, behind the amazing Bar. Following this, I clear and swipe the tables and prepare different drinks, coffee or tee. 

The Highlight of my day is always lunchtime, because I am allowed to choose anything from the menu card for lunch. Never have I ever eaten as good as in Paris Texas. :) 

I really do love my work and I am very excited for the next three weeks. :)  

THE HUB

The Hub in Thomastown is a great place to spend some time, meet friends and have some quality time with the family.

My tasks are making coffee and preparing the food, talking to costumers, waiting the tables and selling stuff from the shop. Also I am helping with their online appearance.
At the front of The Hub there is the coffeeshop and at the back there is the shop. People are able to rent some space at the shop for example a shelf or a corner and place their stuff for sell there.
Costumers are also able to buy free range eggs and some vegetables there.

The owners and staff of The Hub are the best, everyone is helpful and kind and joking around. I am really enjoying to work there. Working there feels like getting to know everyone in town and I am grateful that I made new friends.