Stepping into the challenge of a new career has paid off for Elbow Beach front desk agent Patrick Dill.One year after putting his best foot forward at the 2011 Hospitality Fair, Mr Dill counts himself as an ambassador for Bermuda.“Pat was someone who didn’t have any experience, on the front desk or in the industry,” said the hotel’s front desk manager Deshae Sampson-Smith. “But with his attitude, he has a lot going for him. He’s someone we can count on in all areas.”At 22, Mr Dill is young for the front desk the job he applied for on February 17, when he decided to make a fresh start in a different trade.“I was lucky to be at the front of the line that day,” he recalled. “The fair started at 10am and there were people lined up already at 9.30am.”He had worked in the IT industry and construction, but stories from his father Rudolph Dill’s job as a hotel bellman helped nudge Mr Dill in a different direction.“I wanted to try new things. I decided to try the hospitality business and I really liked it.”A CedarBridge Academy student who went on to graduate from Saltus Grammar School, Mr Dill studied information management at the Florida Institute of Technology, but found his calling on a whim at the South Shore hotel.“To me, everything is about teamwork,” Mr Dill said. “When I first started here in April last year, everything was hectic. A lot of us new people came on the same day and it was not as smooth as it should have been. Now we’re working as a team. And it’s great.”He described his job as “part of the heartbeat of the hotel”.“You’re the first and last face people notice. You handle checking in and checking out and answer any of the guests’ questions. You have to be a people person and you have to have patience. Guests may not always be right, but as far as you’re concerned, they’re always right. In the summertime, when it gets really busy, it can be difficult.”Appearance is everything, he added.“The best way is to present yourself with your head on right. You cannot come in all ghetto. Hotel work is formal and you need a formal approach.”As one of the Island’s iconic businesses, the Elbow Beach Hotel is “a place with a lot of history”, he said.Now 103 years-old, the hotel closed its main facilities in 2009, pending renovations. Its cottages have remained popular and the lobby this week was lively with guests.“Just about every day I get asked what’s planned for the hotel,” Mr Dill said. “Something will happen when they’re ready.”For his own future there, he said: “I am trying to work my way up to becoming a manager. People in the industry have been pushing me towards that. I just make sure that I stay on the right track, keep on my game, make sure I’m dependable, and show that I’m a leader who can handle responsibilities.”Like many people in the hospitality industry, Mr Dill hopes to pick up some overseas experience along the way.For now, he takes the job day by day.“I follow my daddy’s advice,” he said. “He told me, stick by it, don’t let things get under your skin, and keep your cool.”Useful websites: www.bhi.bm, www.gotobermuda.com.