I joined the Summer Opening team as a Retail Assistant after reading about the position in the national press.

Following a successful first season, I accepted the offer to return as a Retail Assistant the following year. Having completed two summer contracts, I was keen to extend my summer role into the autumn. Due to my hard work and enthusiasm in the role, I was offered a permanent position as a Retail Assistant with Royal Collection Enterprises and I haven’t looked back since.

I worked as a Retail Assistant in the Summer Opening shops during my time with the Summer Opening team. It is an extremely busy and demanding role but hugely enjoyable. We are fortunate because our working day is planned in advance and we follow a rota. In the morning you may spend your first hour ensuring that the shops are stocked, tidy and ready to be opened. You could then move on to the till for an hour or so, which keeps you extremely busy! You may then move to the shop floor or to the stock room. The variety of moving around throughout the day makes the job enjoyable.

Working in the stockroom can be quite challenging but this can be overcome with a good team effort. We have always pulled together to get the task done. The team really make a difference to your working day. One of my favourite elements of working during the Summer Opening has to be the social events; last summer I attended several organised events, including a huge summer BBQ, which was great fun.

Aside from the social aspect, the job itself is what I really love. Interaction with people is key in this role. I feel a great sense of responsibility and pride that visitors come from all over the world for a first class experience and it is part of my job to provide it. I particularly enjoy working with the fine jewellery we have on sale as it gives you a little more time with the customer and offers the opportunity to constantly improve your retail skills.

I was extremely pleased when I could extend my contract into the autumn and absolutely thrilled when my manager approached me about a permanent position. The environment here is unique, from the architecture, to the team, to the support from the organisation itself; it really is a very special place.