- April 13th, 2017|
- by gradconsult|
- For Graduates,For Students,Work Experience
- |Gradconsult,nathaniel organ,sheffield,SMEs,work experience
As tea time was rapidly approaching, I was supposed to sit down and write something about my day with Gradconsult. What to mention? What was the key point of the day? What did I learn?
To help me answer these questions, I had to remind myself of why I came to Gradconsult in the first place. Surprise, surprise, it was for career advice. I hadn’t been to University (worked in the media sector after my A-Levels) and recently moved to Sheffield from Poland, so I was looking for guidance, some information, and a well-informed source that would be able to answer a few (aka about three billion) questions. This help was much needed as my ideas for my next career path were as clear as the sky over Sheffield on a rainy November day. So what did I learn?
The first thing I learned is that it’s not always your fault when you apply for jobs and get rejected. This is something Rebecca helped me realise with her enormous experience in early careers and talent management. This is particularly important because if the process of looking for a job doesn’t go as well as you’d like it to, it can affect you in a negative way. But as I’ve learned, you can’t let the negative grind you down!
Secondly, I learned that an office admin job isn’t something out of my range. Throughout my day, I helped with Twitter scheduling, creating spreadsheets and data inputting, and building the Employer Briefing Packs for the RISE SCR scheme. This experience was new to me and gave me a new insight into a different business environment. One might say: “…you didn’t do very much” but I say it’s the skills you learn and the knowledge gained that are important.
The third thing I learned is the importance of good teamwork. Everybody in the Gradconsult office gets on very well with each other, which creates a great atmosphere that motivates you at work. I felt that I was part of the team (despite being there for a short period) and that I was listened to, and that’s a great example for others.
The team have also given me coaching sessions to help me with writing my CV and cover letters, providing a lot of valuable tips by showing me the recruiters side of the application process, the ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’, and how to avoid making common mistakes. I would like to thank the Gradconsult team for these experiences. Many thanks to Rebecca for giving me the chance to come in to do the training and volunteering, and her incredibly positive attitude that immediately gave me a positive boost of energy - Great Spirit! I’d also like to thank Chikka who was my guide during the day in the office. She was always willing to explain things, very knowledgeable, and a true foodie! Thank you for the free lunch that was a chance to learn about another nice place to eat out in Sheffield. And big thanks to Gabi as well – she was always eager to help and patiently answered an unlimited amount of questions in a very sensible way.
Just one bit of advice from me, if you’re just looking around the website because you’re wondering whether Gradconsult could help you in any way, don’t hesitate. In the top right corner you’ll find a ‘Get in touch with us’ sign and that’s the next thing you should click on with your mouse.
Nathaniel Organ