I am currently on an internship with a computerised till supplier, Business Reply Ltd. As a student at the University of Gloucestershire studying for a degree in Business Management (HR) I took a 4 year sandwich course to include this year in industry. For me this was the main attraction of the course, with more and more people gaining a degree it is important to have something that makes you stand out to a potential employer. I applied to many different companies, some of which I didn’t get an interview for because I lacked experience! How you are supposed to gain this experience when companies don’t give inexperienced workers a chance? No idea. It’s the age old conundrum, how can you gain experience when you don’t get hired because you haven’t the experience. Mind boggling.
However, luckily some companies could see my potential and I did have a few interviews, including a very nerve wrecking assessment centre day where I had to travel down and spend the night in a strange place. I had to travel down to Aldershot on the train and then I spent the night at a local hotel. On the day of the assessment centre, I travelled to the corporate company offices on my own and I was the first one there, which made it even more nerve wrecking! We did different activities throughout the day, some as a group and some individually, it was a very scary yet rewarding day. Unfortunately I didn’t get the job due to my lack of confidence, however I gained a lot from the experience and so not all was lost, I also feel that I have gained a lot of confidence form the experience and if I had to do another assessment centre day in the future, I think I would be more at ease. I was then offered a place with Business Reply, for anyone looking for a placement DO NOT GIVE UP! There are thousands of opportunities out there so keep looking and keep your chin up!
I have been at Business Reply since May 2013 and not only have I learnt A LOT about business that you can’t learn from a text book, I have also learnt a lot about myself and where I want to be in the future. With Business Reply being a small company I have had to learn about many different areas of the business, including HR, which is ultimately where I want to be in the future. What area of HR? No idea, ask me again in a couple of months. During my time at Business Reply I have answered calls, sent out quotes, been in control of the office as a Manager and even made the tea. I have met lots of our lovely clients and suppliers and learnt about all sorts of products from computerised EPoS tills to catering equipment. Working in a small company has allowed me to be flexible in the task I have been given and has made my time here enjoyable and valuable. I have even been involved in the set up configuration of the tills and that has allowed me to grasp some new skills whilst honing some I already possessed.
When I come in to work each morning I never know what I’m going to be doing, and I love that everyday is different. The one thing that I can count on, is that here at Business Reply we do our best to ensure that every customer is satisfied and their questions are answered. So, what would you like to ask us?