My Week As A Work Experience at Blue Whale Media
How and Why I Got Involved
As a Year 10 student, I have never had the chance to work since I am viewed as underage for the majority of jobs out there so when my high school suggested a new work experience program I did not hesitate to take this opportunity. This was a perfect time for me to start gaining some insight into the normal working environment. After exploring all of my options and filling out a simple form, I settled with Arts, Media and Publishing where my school then found me a place at Blue Whale Media where I would step in as a ‘Marketing Assistant’. Personally, my career aspiration is to be a musician as I sing, I play piano and I write from time to time but I am aware of how difficult it is to get involved in the music industry, so it wouldn’t hurt if I have a backup plan or two. Besides, I could be flexible and apply some of my personal hobbies and skills such as writing into other job roles which is a skill that I know many companies look at in job applications.
Preparing for the Day
My school organised this for me so they ended up giving me all the basic information about BWM and some handy tips on how to approach my first day. They encouraged me to ring the company to confirm that I was going to join them for a week and to ask questions concerning my lunch hour, how I had to dress, what tasks I will be given etc. I was slightly worried about what it would be like on my first day so even though talking to them over the phone was quite nerve-wracking and awkward from my point of view, I proceeded to use this phone call wisely to relieve as much stress that I could. As soon as I got their details, I researched the company online to find out more about what they do and to figure out where I had to travel.
My First Day
Fortunately, I am used to waking up at a much earlier time every morning for school therefore I had more time to make myself look presentable and to pack any essentials that I needed for the day. After getting ready, me and my dad also set off earlier to give us time to find the right building. To be honest, driving to work for the first time was daunting. Even though this was only temporary, it felt strange to do this for the first time and I was hoping to make the right first impression. I arrived earlier than expected and was invited in to a calm and friendly environment which was very comforting. I was given a tour around and I got to meet everyone in the office since it’s only a small but open space and was informed on lunch hours and health and safety.
Getting to Grips with the Work
After making myself comfortable at my new desk, I was introduced to my weekly schedule by Eve and it mostly consisted of moving blogs onto websites so she taught me everything I needed to know about that. I had to use the BWM admin website to transfer a post written on Word on to a ready-made template. It was a lot to take in at first but I completed the first few with Eve and I was encouraged to ask for help if I needed it once I logged on to my own computer. Basically, I had to fill in the title of the blog and the link, create tags from keywords that were in the blog post, cut the writing in to sections and learn about how SEO helps bring attention to a website under a search engine. This was what I did half the time I was there for a variety of websites but I also used Canva and Photoshop for graphic design and even had to write a month’s worth of Facebook statuses which definitely required a lot of creativity to think of something new every time.
The Atmosphere During Work
Although I was very focused while completing tasks like everyone else around me, I was within a very relaxed atmosphere with office dogs to keep me company at my feet so I didn’t feel stressed at all. I am a professional at overthinking but there was nothing to be nervous about. I noticed that sometimes people would ask you if you wanted a drink or a hot brew before getting a cup of their own and I didn’t feel judged whenever I had to ask for guidance. It was so different to school life: I wasn’t used to being so independent even though I preferred being in control of myself because I have been so used to following the same routine that I even felt rude leaving work without automatically being dismissed by someone in school.
My Final Thoughts
As I am writing this, it is my last day at Blue Whale Media which is quite sad because I definitely enjoyed being with this company as I felt so welcomed by everyone. I managed to complete the tasks that I was assigned to and whenever I got confused I could always ask for a helping hand. I have now got a second career path that I could go down if the first one ends up being a dead end and I have even started thinking about studying Media at college. Having this experience gave me a lot more courage for jobs in the future and although I remained quite shy, I did speak with some of those who work here and they were very informative about their company and showed interest whenever I mentioned what I do in my own time and my plans. Overall, this will be imprinted on my CV forever and I’m proud of that, it will help me find jobs and will match up to my knowledge and skills that are also necessities.
Advice to Others Considering Work Experience
The most important piece of advice I would give is to not waste this opportunity if you are given it. Many of my classmates chose not to participate because they felt robbed of half of their half term break however it’s important to always stay productive and to prioritise more important things. Working hard now could result in finding a job that allows you to have these moments of luxury later on in your life and it would lead you to being in control of your happiness as cheesy as it sounds. Even though I want to fully pursue music as my career and I’m sure others have their dreams as well, I have to make sure I have something to fall back on instead of falling flat without any support. Finally, I would want others to know that being curious about things that will have an impact on your life like work is not at all being nosey, it shows that you are aspirational and your will to do well.