Arshia Syal

• Lead a team of 5 across high-volume morning and weekend peaks; set rosters, allocate stations, and run pre-shift briefs.
• Own daily ops : open/close, cash-up and bank drops, POS/reporting, supplier orders, inventory, and wastage control.
• Lift service speed and consistency during rush: coordinate pass, barista, and floor to keep high accuracy.
• Hire, train, and coach staff on service standards, coffee quality, and food safety; handle performance feedback and shift coverage.
• Resolve customer issues on the spot and turn complaints into recoveries; monitor reviews and reply professionally.
• Track COGS, labor percentage , and wastage ; adjust prep and ordering to protect margin without hurting service.

• Identified need & target group: Ran a simple community needs assessment (10–15 key-informant chats + short beneficiary forms) to prioritise low-income women with irregular earnings.
• Curriculum built for context: Developed bilingual (Punjabi/Hindi) modules on cash-flow, budgeting, saving, and compounding using local price examples and cash-envelope tools; printed worksheets for low-literacy participants.
• Delivery & facilitation: Scheduled small-group workshops at partner venues (ward office/school rooms); handled rooming, attendance, childcare coordination, and translation; facilitated Q&A and follow-ups.
• Safeguarding & consent: Implemented basic safeguarding guidelines, photo/voice consent forms, and a simple feedback/grievance channel (WhatsApp + on-paper box).
• M&E (lightweight): Tracked attendance, pre/post confidence scores, and 30–60-day behaviour checks (e.g., started envelope saving, set an emergency-fund goal). Compiled monthly summary sheets for partners/donors.
• Results to date: Reached 50+ women across multiple cohorts; majority report adopting a basic budget and a fixed saving amount within 30 days.

• Led the finance track in an 8-week planning sprint: aligned engineering and analysis to ship publishable outputs (blogs, articles, AI-generated podcast series , technical report).
• Designed a quant + quail evaluation framework for AI research outputs and podcasts: quantitative checks (error rate, time-to-review, completion/retention, click-through) and qualitative signals (clarity, coherence, usefulness, trust, tone).
• Partnered with engineers on prompt patterns and guardrails; instrumented dashboards tracking factuality flags, turnaround time, and audience engagement for podcasts and written pieces.
• Produced plain-language explainers and show notes for non-technical audiences; coordinated editorial checkpoints (draft → technical review → consumer summary → publish).
• Maintained decision logs and lightweight MRM artifacts (test cases, sign-off criteria, version history) for transparency and repeatability.

Selected Project — AI Podcast Series

• Co-created a scripted, AI-assisted podcast format (host prompts, segment templates, call-to-action blocks).
• Measured episode-level metrics (listen-through, drop-off timestamps, CTA click-through) and collected qualitative feedback (short listener surveys, open-text comments) to iterate content and pacing.

• Consistently exceeded daily sales targets by delivering exceptional customer experiences and offering personalized styling advice.
• Executed visual merchandising strategies that enhanced in-store presentation and aligned with brand campaigns.
• Built strong customer rapport, contributing to high levels of repeat business and positive feedback.
• Managed POS transactions, refunds, and inventory processes with accuracy and professionalism.
• Recognized by management for reliability, initiative, and creating a positive, fashion-forward store atmosphere.

• Managed front-of-house operations at a high-traffic café, ensuring smooth service flow and exceptional customer experiences.
• Trained and led a team of baristas and waitstaff, boosting team efficiency and maintaining high service standards.
• Implemented new service workflows that reduced wait times by 25% and improved overall customer satisfaction.
• Maintained top-tier cleanliness, cash handling, and inventory management across daily shifts.
• Crafted consistent, high-quality espresso beverages while creating a welcoming, community-focused café environment.

• Recognized as the most rostered team member, trusted for consistent performance, reliability, and adaptability in high-pressure shifts.
• Prepared and served a wide range of specialty coffees and fresh food offerings with speed, accuracy, and attention to presentation.
• Delivered exceptional customer service, building rapport with regulars and maintaining a positive, upbeat environment.
• Supported store opening and closing duties, including cash handling, stock rotation, and end-of-day reporting.
• Assisted in training new staff, helping to uphold brand standards and streamline onboarding processes.