Going to work in other jobs in the hospitality industry, Lily recognised that this was a sector she enjoyed, related to, and wanted to be a part of, showing off Tasmania and engaging with tourists. I asked Lily how it felt to be a female skipper on the Pennicott’s boats. “Pennicott Wilderness Journeys has had a few female skippers in the past both in Hobart and at Bruny Island Cruises, however I am one of just a couple to skipper the Tasman Island Cruises side of the operation,” she says. “I have a huge amount of imposter syndrome in this position, but I know I’ve worked to be here. It is fun to challenge people’s ingrained stereotypes of what the skipper of a high- powered boat should look like. “When people arrive and they see a young woman at the helm I see a few shocked faces, and even receive one or two comments on it each trip. Some comments are complimentary, and some are pure shock. “There are one or two younger female deckhands with the company now who have their Coxswains certification and are hoping to get into skippering, so I think the future for women in this industry is bright.”
Lily has worked for Pennicott Wilderness Journeys now for seven years, and in that time has progressed up the ranks from receptionist to deckhand and bus driver, and now to skipper. Lily has attended different training courses to gain the necessary qualifications to move to new levels in her job, highlighting difficulties such as finding time to complete the training as a casual staff member, recognising that a lot of your study to get where you are is in unpaid time. “I knew the important thing to remember was that each training session would lead me to the next level in my job and would open up my availability for more shifts,” she says. If Lily has anything to say to anyone wanting to enter the Hospitality/Tourism industry it is this: “Effective communication is one of the biggest customer service skills required in my job. From the office staff taking the initial booking, to running a briefing when people check in for the cruise, to transporting customers to the boats, to offering interpretation on board the vessels. We are dealing with up to 120 customers at once, up to 240 a day in summer. We also must be adaptable as each new day can come with a new set of challenges, or a customer with some form of disability or allergy that can change how you run your day.
Building Confidence. Together.
As your trusted THA insurance partner, our purpose is to help you move forward with confidence. We can help with obtaining, or renewing your insurance program, including: 1. Specialised hospitality business insurance 2. Public, product, management liability insurance 3. Workers compensation insurance Get in touch with your dedicated Tasmanian Gallagher broker to discuss your insurance needs. Daniel Quintin 03 6235 1241 or 0418 268 409 or daniel.quintin@ajg.com.au AJG.com/au/hospitality
Endorsed by:
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co (Aus) Limited. AFSL 238812. Cover is subject to the Policy terms and conditions. You should consider if the insurance is suitable for you and read the relevant PDS/Policy Wording and our FSG before making your decision to acquire insurance. These are available on request or at AJG.com.au. REF3123-0223
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software