Sonja Venske
Thorn Hill
Summary
Dynamic and versatile professional with a rich background spanning sales at Bargain Hunt, farming, and seamstress work. Excelled in customer service and garment construction, enhancing customer satisfaction and product quality. Proven ability to manage high-stress situations and maintain professionalism, driving positive outcomes and fostering customer loyalty. Demonstrated leadership in team collaboration and problem-solving, ensuring operational excellence and innovation.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
Work History
Sales Associate
Bargain Hunt
03.2021 - 02.2024
- Organized racks and shelves to maintain store visual appeal, engage customers, and promote specific merchandise.
- Built relationships with customers to encourage repeat business.
- Maintained calm demeanor and professionally managed issues in busy, high-stress situations.
- Prepared merchandise for sales floor by pricing or tagging.
- Helped customers locate products and checked store system for merchandise at other sites.
- Answered customer questions about sizing, accessories, and merchandise care.
- Provided positive first impressions to welcome existing, new, and potential customers.
- Rotated stock and restocked shelves to maintain product availability and store appearance.
- Engaged with customers to build rapport and loyalty.
- Boosted customer satisfaction levels through exceptional service, addressing concerns promptly, and providing a welcoming store environment.
- Solved customer challenges by offering relevant products and services.
Farmer
Self-employeed
02.2006 - 12.2020
- Trained and supervised farmhands in proper use of farm equipment and safety protocols.
- Optimized livestock health through effective feeding programs, vaccination schedules, and regular check-ups from veterinarians.
- Managed farm budget and financial records, keeping farm profitable through strategic planning.
- Diversified farm products to include free-range poultry, expanding product offerings.
- Advocated for farm policy changes at local government meetings, representing interests of farming community.
- Improved animal welfare with redesign of living spaces, promoting healthier livestock.
- Inspected and repaired equipment for livestock and crop management.
- Hired new ranch hands and livestock handlers seasonally.
Seamstress
Self-employeed
03.1995 - 12.2004
- Altered and hemmed [Type] and [Type] garments to create custom-fitted styles.
- Demonstrated flexibility by adapting to various sewing tasks, including garment repairs, alterations, or custom clothing creation.
- Maintained clean and organized work area and verified safe and proper equipment functionality to reduce downtime.
- Measured and cut fabric for garment construction according to customer specifications.
- Minimized fabric waste by carefully planning cuts and utilizing leftover material for smaller projects or repairs when possible.
- Operated sewing machines to join, reinforce, or decorate products and performed hand stitching for smaller projects.
- Ensured accurate measurements were taken for each client''s project, resulting in well-fitting final products that required minimal adjustments.
- Followed sewing instructions and inspected quality of finished pieces to exceed customer expectations.
- Meticulously maintained all sewing equipment, resulting in improved machine performance and reduced downtime.
- Inspected finished garments to address flaws and verify adherence to quality standards.
- Applied and replaced decorative sequins, beading and ribbons to enhance and repair garments.
- Matched up cloth by pattern and die lot to reach quality goals on finished shoes.
Education
High School Diploma -
High School Outeniqua
South Africa12-1990
Skills
- Customer service
- Hand sewing techniques
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Alterations expertise
- Zipper installation
- Hemming techniques
- Seam finishing
- Excellent people skills
- Reliable and punctual
- Goal oriented
- General maintenance
- Stitching repairs
- Exceptional customer service
- Pleating methods
- Garment construction
- Serger machine use
- Verbal/written communication
- Lace application
- Livestock husbandry
- Poultry farming
- Fabric selection
- Draping proficiency
- Cattle farming
- Fabric hemming
- Meeting deadlines
- Sewing machine operation
- Retail store operations
- Animal husbandry
- Adapt to diverse groups
- Garment repair
- Cleaning techniques
- Herd health management
- Buttonhole making
- Merchandise display
- Team collaboration
- Product recommendations
- Display setup
- Self motivation
- Facility cleaning
- Professionalism
- Livestock management
- Time management abilities
- Manual dexterity
- Machine settings
- Garment inspection
- Trimming and finishing
- Garment assembly
- Friendly and outgoing
- Machine threading
- Task prioritization
- Gardening expertise
- Pattern cutting
- Positive and professional
- Teamwork
- Calm demeanor
- Problem-solving abilities
- Reliability
Languages
English
Full Professional
Afrikaans
Native or Bilingual
Interests
- Cooking
- Enjoying the art of baking and pastry-making, experimenting with recipes
- Baking
- Growing herbs, vegetables, or fruits in home gardens
- Enjoy experimenting with different ingredients and flavors in the kitchen
- Bread Making
- I enjoy cooking for friends and family gatherings
Timeline
Sales Associate
Bargain Hunt
03.2021 - 02.2024
Farmer
Self-employeed
02.2006 - 12.2020
Seamstress
Self-employeed
03.1995 - 12.2004
High School Diploma -
High School Outeniqua
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