Work Experience Success!

“I had the opportunity to do my work experience at StartUp Croydon, which has taught me the overall structure of a working environment and the true process behind a business. My work experience started on July 10 and ended on the 14th and it was a very enjoyable and a dynamic experience.

Throughout the week, I got to experience many departments within StartUp Croydon. On Monday, I got idea of the structure of the organisation and learnt how the business runs and also shown around the whole building. In the afternoon I shadowed Latoya with the duties carried out in reception.

On Tuesday, I helped with the social media for StartUp Croydon, helping out with their Instagram and Twitter posts and developing designs on Canva. This helped me understand the importance of branding and marketing within a business. I also learnt how to manage a work diary.

Wednesday was a very productive day as it was approaching the celebration of StartUp Croydon’s 40th Anniversary event. In the morning, I helped with the slideshow that was going to be presented at the party. In the afternoon, I had the opportunity to experience the technical side of StartUp Croydon and helped in the podcast room. I was able to learn Audacity on the laptop and how to set up and record a podcast.

On Thursday, it was the day of the 40th Anniversary party and I arrived at the venue to prepare. I helped out with the preparation of the event and also assisted the event planner. I had the pleasure of meeting Geoffrey Dove, David Robinson and Paul Taylor, StartUp Croydon’s chairmen, past and present. The night ran smoothly and was very successful. It was a really exciting experience for me, outside of the working environment and experiencing my first corporate party.

After the excitement of the night before, Friday was a quiet day and in the morning, Ben and I sorted out the store room, moving equipment around to make more space.

As the days went by, I’ve felt more comfortable within a 9-5 environment and with the StartUp Croydon team. The 40th Anniversary really made the whole week productive and allowed me to understand the business world.

Overall, this week has been amazing, thanks to Ben, Latoya, Tanya and Geoff for helping me. Also, a special thanks to Saffron for giving me the opportunity to work here and be part of an amazing team.”

“During my time at StartUp Croydon I successfully executed a range of effective tasks which widened my knowledge and experience on Marketing. On Monday morning I was given a warm welcome by the team and attended the weekly huddle which included a reflection on last week’s achievements as well as a pointer of what to expect for the approaching week.

I was immediately introduced to the importance of promoting and marketing in a business and was given the task to research and analyse competitor social media strategies in order to refine our own in the process. I displayed my research in the form of a 500 word summary which strengthened my own writing abilities as well as gaining the understanding of modern consumer needs.

In addition, I created engaging content through filming Q+A videos. This allowed us to create a more personal approach for viewers on social media pages as well as providing important insight into often asked questions.

I was introduced to a graphic design tool – Canva where I designed visual content using various infographics to promote the available opportunities.  As the week progressed, the busier it got and I was quick to learn the importance of organisation. As a result of this, I learnt how to use Monday.com, a project management system which is used to document personal information. I also used Buffer, a calendar used to schedule content e.g Instagram and Twitter.

In the middle of the week I was given the opportunity to attend a meeting regarding the launch of a new exciting project and took minutes. This required me to listen actively, process information, and summarize it in a way that makes sense to me when I refer back to the team.

Overall, the insightful discussions with the staff, first-hand experience at the front desk and wonderful mentorship by Latoya and Tanya made my experience that much more amazing. A special thanks to Latoya, Tanya, Ben, Geoff and the wider StartUp community for the kindness and support.

Also, a particular thank you to Saffron for guiding me throughout the process and allowing me to experience this opportunity at such short notice, I am extremely grateful.

Until next time.”