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Talia Cooke-Johnson - a dynamo in the hospitality industry
Talia Cooke-Johnson is the training and development manager at the Grand Palladium Jamaica and Lady Hamilton Resort and Spa in Point, Hanover. As someone whose early career goal was fixed on working in the field of international relations, her career change, which happened by accident rather than design, has resulted in her becoming a more confident and assertive person.
An only child for Joan Crawford-Cooke and Aston Cooke, Talia attended the Corinaldi Avenue Primary School and from there, she moved on to Montego Bay High School for Girls. It was then on to the Montego Bay Community College for pre-university business studies. After 'Com-C', the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, where international relations studies beckoned her.
Following her years at UWI, Talia worked with Air Jamaica for two years as a reservations agent before jetting off to England, where she pursued an MBA at the Birmingham City University, and then the London Metropolitan University, where she gained a post-grad diploma in human resources management.
It was then back to Jamaica and after a one-year break, she sought and obtain employment at the spanking new Grand Palladium Jamaica and Lady Hamilton Resort and Spa in May 2008 as a human resource administrator, a post she held until early 2012 when she was promoted to the position of training and development manager.
Transitioning
Up to that point, Talia saw herself as a very introverted person, but her new position literally pulled her out of her shell. She said, "Even though the transition from being an human resource (HR) administrator to being the training manager was smooth, I was a bit apprehensive as to how I would function in this new role. However, to my surprise, I rose to the occasion and have seen personal growth. I have been given the task of training my co-workers, while learning myself, which is a wonderful opportunity for me to grow professionally."
Talia thinks her professional training has helped in a significant way in ensuring that she is able to perform in her new position. "My job has me working with people from various nationalities and cultures and I have been able to address their individual needs in an effective manner. The support staff at the human resources office has played a key role in my success so far and I am very thankful for that."
Looking ahead, Talia hopes to become an HR consultant while operating her own human resource company. "I am hoping that in my next professional step, I will be able to offer my knowledge and professional training to the wider public with the view of helping to get our workforce more professional and well trained. This is an exciting field and I am yearning to enter that phase of my life."
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