Reflective Journal: Insights from Domino's Kingsland Internship

This reflective journal details a student's internship experience at a Domino's store in Kingsland, Auckland, New Zealand. The journal begins with an introduction to the fast-food industry in New Zealand, highlighting Domino's position and store operations. It then describes the student's initial interactions, including orientation, introductions to staff, and assigned responsibilities. The journal reflects on critical learning experiences, such as managing operational challenges and observing managerial skills. It discusses personal growth, future career directions, and the importance of communication and team management within the organization. The journal also covers the company's goals, including providing quality food and service, and the impact of cultural diversity within the workplace. The student reflects on the challenges faced, the skills developed, and the overall insights gained from the internship, including how to handle difficult situations and the importance of communication and teamwork. The journal concludes with reflections on the internship's impact on the student's career aspirations.

REFLECTITIVE JOURNAL
Reflective journal
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Host Organization..................................................................................................................3
2.0 Situation Reflection..............................................................................................................8
2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................8
2.2 First Critical Learning Experience.........................................................................................8
2.3 Second Critical Learning Experience....................................................................................9
2.4 Third Critical learning Experience......................................................................................10
3.0 Personal Growth......................................................................................................................12
3.1 Learning Experiences......................................................................................................12
3.2 Future Career Direction and preparation for Future.......................................................14
4.0 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................15
5.0 References and Bibliography...................................................................................................16

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1.0 Introduction
1.1 Host Organization
The fast food industry is the backbone of the New Zealand economy. Sales in the fast
food industry in New Zealand increased by 3.6% and reached $11 billion in 2018. The fast food
businesses increased by 32.4% nationwide (Hospitality Report, 2018). As New Zealanders have
come to embrace the health and the wellness trend, they have also become more and more aware
of the quality of the food they consume. This leads to a boost in the sales of different kinds of
premium and healthier concepts that are delivered by most of the different food chains of New
Zealand (ibisworld.com.au, 2019). However, the fast-food service in New Zealand has grown
over the past few years especially the last five years in general.
As said earlier, the demand for good and healthy food is the trend that has been there for
the last few years. Demand growth for healthy as well as tasty food has grown over the last few
years more than that of the demand decline for unhealthy fast food. Industry revenue is expected
to rise to $5 billion in the coming years with an annual growth percentage of around 6%. The
experts in the following sector believes that the food sector in New Zealand will provide
employment opportunities to around 35,000 people in the near future which clearly indicates the
popularity of the fast food industry in New Zealand.
Domino’s is the one of the leading franchise pizza chains in New Zealand. The domino’s
store is located on New North road in Kingsland, Auckland. In this store the total working staff
is of 14 members (dominos.co.nz, 2019). The owner is handling the store as a general manager;
under him the store have 4 store managers with 6 crew members and 4 delivery drivers. The
general manager oversees shift allocations, inventory ordering and salary. Store managers handle

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the store, count the stock and handle the cash. The crew member’s work is to make pizzas, take
orders and complete other miscellaneous works. Lastly the delivery drivers are for deliveries of
the pizza, cleaning and other miscellaneous work.The management of Dominos appoints interns
as there are different types of advantages of hiring trainees (dominos.co.nz, 2019). I was hired in
the same process by the management of the company and was placed in the Kingsland store of
the business organization. I observed that the hiring of the intern is mainly carried out by the
business organization in order to provide the opportunity to select and develop the future talent
of the business organization. My hiring in the eatery house helped me to gain a considerable
knowledge of the fast food industry in New Zealand which can be helpful for me to ensure the
development of my career in the future. As an intern I decided to gain a thorough knowledge of
the company, position and also decided to interact with the different people of the stores. My
interaction was not limited just to the workforce and the managers but also included the
suppliers, vendors, customers and other parties who were a part of the organization or somehow
a part of the business organization.
Intern orientations can be said to be a major process to introduce new interns to the
primary activities of the business organization. It is one of the most important tasks of the intern
to ensure that the interns are welcomed in the most appropriate manner. In the similar way my
internship career got off to a smooth start as I was also presented with a warm welcome. A warm
welcome helped me to easily adaptto a totally new environment and adjust with new people. I
was introduced with the managers, store operators, workers and the delivery boys of the
Kingsland store in Auckland. The manager personally introduced me with all of the people and
described the roles and responsibilities of each of the people in a proper and efficient manner.
Some of the main perspectives that were described to me by the managers were;

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a. Hours
b. Dress Code
c. Overall responsibilities
d. Safety regulations and the requirements
The proper allocation and intern orientation is highly needed for the organization to
ensure the success of the organization. It is the responsibility of the managers and the supervisors
to ensure the success of the organization by means of providing the best solutions to the
organization. The designing of a thorough intern orientation and training plan will help interns
like me to learn quickly and become a productive member of my team. Investing supervisory
time with the other interns can set the tone for the program and the internship experience.As said
earlier, I tried to check different important requirements regarding my company in order to
ensure the success of my business in the market. The manager of the organization has explained
a number of different goals to me. The goals were based on the strategies of the business
organization. These included;
1. Introduction session with the other staffs of the organization
2. Providence of an opportunity to me for interacting with the staffs of the business
3. allowing the required time for me to determine the professional growth needs and the
different kind of the learning goals that I wish to achieve
4. Providing me with all the pertinent information about the business or the operations,
policies and procedures of the business organizations.
By the end of the first week I was almost 50% aware of the different elements and
perspectives of the business organization. I was provided practical training for the first four days

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where I was instructed to observe the total works of the organization. The training team provided
stress on the knowledge about the organization, the knowledge about the staffs, the
organizational perspectives as well as the different types of activities of the organization. After
getting a good knowledge of the activities of the organization, the major tasks of the organization
are the presentation of the proper quality food and service to the customers. The operations
manager takes care of the operations of the business whereas the stores managers are in charge of
the inventory. Apart from this the delivery boys deliver pizzas within a selected time limit to
ensure the success of the business. The supervisors of the organization along with the business
executives provided me the theoretical training and made me aware of the rules and regulations
that are followed by the business organization. The proper follow up of the rules and regulations
is one of the most important lessons that must be known properly by me to ensure the success of
the organization.
The goals of the company that have been identified by me are as follows;
1. The vision of the company is to be one of the best restaurants of the world
2. The company is dedicated to provide its customer with the best food products and the best
services
3. In order to deliver this, the company has made a number of commitments to food safety and
nutrition.
4. Some of the major changes to be implemented by the company includes the likes of
development of e-commerce platform, development of a fluid supply chain and maintenance of a
proper and effective service

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As i explained about team of Domino’s where i am working is from different culture like
some of them are from India, some of them are from Philippines and some of them are from Fiji,
Samoa. So it’s a big thing to communicate each person with each other. The communication is
main thing which attach them each other and make them work as a group.
The communications in organization develop and improve communication skills of
employees because this workplace is all based on communication. For example when a crew
member or manager taking order from the counter he have to speak English and listen English so
it can develop both speaking and listening of the crew or manager. Crew and Manager make a
team for any organization so it’s away which develop whole team.
Meeting Management In management meetings communication process should be clear,
professionally, logically.
 Professionally – The communication which we use in meetings of organization
related to our profession.
 Clear – Communication should be clear which make good sense for listener.
 Logical – Communication should be logic full or related to the matter which
actually we want discuss in meeting.
 Purpose – The purpose of communication should clear for all the meeting
attainders.

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2.0 Situation Reflection
2.1 Introduction
During my last semester of college I was appointed as an intern in Dominos facility of
Kingsland. I was able to deal with the different types of the employees as well as the
management of the facility. The interaction with the executives of the business organization
along with some useful tips from the managers and the supervisors proved to be one of the very
best for my career. Among all the employees of the organization I found the operations manager
to be interesting as he had the required knowledge and the capabilities to face any situation and
innovate new ideas for the business. Secondly my interaction with the different customers
provided me the required knowledge that helped me to develop the required expertise to face
challenges in my professional life. The interactions were a lesson for me as each and every of
them were not so good and some of the customers were too rude to interact with. The
management of such a situation helped me to gain a clear understanding of the professional
control of life and also helped me to make my internship one of the very best.
2.2 First Critical Learning Experience
My internship in Dominos lasted for six months. Being my first such experience, the
beginning month of the internship was more or less based on critical observation. I carefully
observed the tasks undertaken by each people in the helm of affairs in the store. My observation
was never limited to the executives but also covered the managers as well as the supervisors. On
the third month of the internship I came across a great learning experience where I experienced
one of the extraordinary managerial skills of a manager. I experienced the way the manager
managed the operations of the business in the presence of some of the toughest challenges of
business. There was a shortfall of the food products in the store and the main cooking machine

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was out of service. As because it was just 2 hours after the store opened, the workforce of the
store was concerned on how to manage the sales in the peak time which was normally scheduled
to start just after a few hours.
Unlike the others in the store, the manager did not panicked a little and conducted a small
meeting where he told the employees to be confident and concentrate on the task in hand. The
manager took the full responsibility in his hand and decided to arrange the necessary food on his
own self. He immediately contacted the zonal manger of Dominos and expressed the current
situation in a strategic manner. The manager also suggested that he will be open to fast delivery
of pizza from some other stores and close the delivery service for the following day. Though the
solution proposed and implemented by the manager sounded simple, the promptness and the
confidence displayed by the manager was one of the most important things that I learnt from the
following situation.
2.3 Second Critical Learning Experience
Secondly I also had a great experience during my interaction and observation of the other
managers in the organization. The retail manager provided some great insights to me which was
sure to provide a great learning experience. Some of the main challenges for the retail managers
are as follows;
a. Management of time
b. Management of change related activities
c. Recruitment and supervision of the staff members
d. Building of skilled and motivated team members

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The managers of the organization were prompt enough to maintain the time and other
change related activities. The managers always expressed their displeasure on people who were
not prompt in their responses and other work related activities. The managers studied the market
of the organization and accordingly formulated their strategies. The formulation of the strategies
according to the demands of the people helped them to connect with the customers of the
organization in a much better and professional; manner. Some of the major ways by which the
managers in Dominos control the staff and encourage them are as follows;
 Communication and evaluation of the performances by means of standards of specific
behavior and outcomes.
 sing appropriate reinforcement techniques Gaining commitment to performance goals Maintaining an atmosphere that values sharing information in downward, upward and
peer-to-peer directions Coaching for results Setting realistic goals and follow-up dates
2.4 Third Critical learning Experience
The last learning experience was based upon my experience during my interaction with
the different customers of the business organization. My internship as a customer service
executive of Domino’s Pizza store involved both good and foul interactions with the customers
of the business. There were people who were supportive enough. On the other hand I saw people
who were not only impatient but intentionally tried to hamper the reputation of the business.

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There were also customers who were never supportive towards the staff and always questioned
about the service quality of the business organization.
I still remember one particular incident as it was an eye opener for me given my
newcomer tag. in the business market. The customer was impatient from the very beginning and
behaved improperly with the customers. The manager of the store asked me to look after the
problems of the customer. I approached him and asked about the reasons of his impatience.
Without thinking twice he directly questioned my designation. I replied in a most polite manner
about my internship and also told him that the manager has told me to look after his problems.
The customer suddenly got aggressive and shouted in the store. As I was new to the proceedings
I shouted in the same way and asked him to leave the store if he would carry on the same
behavior again and again. However, the manager interrupted me and handled the situation by
asking the customer politely to leave the store. Later the manager briefed me about some
important things that need to be in my mind while interacting with the customers. This included;
a. Having great control of my own self
b. Listening and letting the customer vent out the anger
c. Trying to desperately solve the problem
d. Must not make promises that will not be possible

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3.0 Personal Growth
Personal Growth is one of the major growth features that is learnt from the completion of
an internship program. It helps to test drive a career without making any kinds of serious
commitments. It has helped me to gain the different kinds of experiences, lessons and the
different kinds of the tools that are needed for becoming a full time executive and manager in the
near future. Another most important thing of my personal learning is gaining different type of the
skills from the organization. The tasks and the activities undertaken by the executives and the
managers of the organization have been experienced and observed by me from the very
beginning which will help me in my career in the near future. Apart from this I have also been
able to gather new and improved skills which have and will help me to fulfill important tasks in
the near future. The presence of quality skills is also important for me to ensure the success of
the business accordingly.
3.1 Learning Experiences
The Dominos internship program has been one of the best learning experiences for me
and for both my personal as well as professional life. The new found knowledge along with all
the practical skills can help me to ensure success in my future endeavors. The support of the
management, engagement with the executives, delivery boys and most importantly the customers
of the organization was one of the most important elements of the business organization. Before
completing my internship my perception on internship was that I would have to provide coffee
and run errands all the days. My judgment was wrong in this particular case as I was there with
the executives and the managers all the time and even had interactions with the customers which
helped me to learn a great deal about the operations of the business organization. My active
nature helped me to mix with the workforce of the Dominos stores of Kingsland easily which

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helped me to know about my biggest strengths and provided me a clear idea on the different
kinds of improvement needed by me to make myself an expert in the same field.
I had observed that professional communication is another important feature that needs to
be implemented in the corporate world in order to ensure a smooth and easy business operation.
Working in a professional setting for the first time can be difficult to get used to. But it is the
best way to learn on how to navigate the working world through real life, hands on experience.
After I completed my internship I had a better idea about the need for a great communication.
According to me effective communication is one of the most important forms of success in the
modern business world. Apart from a better and effective communication, the presence of
networking among the people belonging to the workforce of an organization is equally
important. Being a service sector, most of the workforce in the Domino’s store was proactive and
answered the queries of the customers and provided them prompt and quality services in a proper
and effective manner. Being proactive is perhaps the only possible way that the people will
experience on my identity and my designation in the organization. In such a case the customers
will get knowledge on the way to approach me.
There are times when the executives and the managers are openly criticized and have to
face the ire of the customers. However, I was proved totally wrong when these people as per my
belief did not even protested on the same and listened carefully to the matter and addressed the
issues in a constructive and diplomatic manner. Later I came to know that acting hastily must not
be the quality rather acting smartly in such cases is the best way forward to ensure success. The
managers and the executives generally do not engage in arguments with the customers. Such a
behavior from the management ensures the commercial success of the business. The following
activity has been helpful for my personal development. Working hard and honestly is also one of

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the many other skills that need to be present among the employees. The delivery boys of
Domino’s were way too hard working and always reported early to duty to ensure that they
provide the best service to the customers. My internship time in the company was excellent in
nature as I was able to establish new sources. Apart from this I was able to meet and interact with
new people especially the managers and the customers of the business which helped me to
ensure that I develop a sound professional future.
Throughout the course of my internship which lasted for six months, I was given the
chance of experiencing and observing on how to run a business in a smooth and efficient manner
and also how to be a good and responsible worker. Apart from this the other major thing which I
came to learn was the ability to learn on how to deal with the customers in a business
organization. My internship was great in nature as because it helped me to learn a lot of different
things on the set up of a successful business structure. Throughout my understanding I was able
to get a better idea of the business and my own strengths and weakness in the corporate world.
The gaining of such an important idea was helpful for me as it will act as a great asset for my
future.
3.2 Future Career Direction and preparation for Future
First of all I should tell that I was extremely beneficial to grab the opportunity to gain a
beneficial internship which has been remarkably valuable towards my career. The internship has
helped me to gain a first hand and practical exposure of working in the real world. It has also
allowed students to harness the skills, knowledge as well as the theoretical practice that I have
studied in the university. The great thing about internships is that it has taught me about the
specific industries and companies I am interested in.Even the experience of trying something

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new is extremely beneficial.A lot of people get stuck in routines, staying in the same town,
attending the same schools or surrounding themselves with the same people. The intern therefore
has helped me to develop my internal skills.
4.0 Conclusion
The reflective report has provided the different details of the organization where I am
working. The report is based on my personal experience as an intern in Dominos. The study has
shown that Domino’s have a large number of different communication activities along with
different practical solutions and theoretical policies and guidelines. The company according to
me must give more preference to the choice of the customers as because preference to the
customers will help in the establishment of sustainability of the business in the market. The
presence of a proper business strategy addressing the concerns of the people can help the
business organization to gain a proper strategic ground in the business organization.

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