Our T Level students are now winding down for the summer. But before Reuben left, he gave us a few minutes of his time to talk about his experience of working in the Recruitment team at Essex County Council.
How has your T Level experience been in comparison to your expectations?
In all honesty, I didn’t know what to expect. Previously in high school I had work experience, but that was only for a week. This was more intense and had more roles and responsibilities. I think the only expectation I had was to still be treated as a child, which turned out to be untrue; throughout tasks I have been asked for my opinion which has been taken onboard and implemented.
What have you found most rewarding about your experience so far?
By far the most rewarding aspect of what I’ve gained in my academic year on work placement is the confidence it has given me. I never thought I’d be able to do something like give a presentation in front of members of staff on my project findings or send freedom of information requests to local councils. I will take this onboard with me in any future endeavour, and I have found it extremely helpful.
What do you hope to cover when you return in September?
I‘d like to study business management at university. So, in September I’d like to have the opportunity to understand at a deeper level how Essex County Council runs, the politics behind it, and the reasoning for certain decisions being made and why. I feel this best supports me in gaining further experience in how organisations are run in the public sector. I also want to challenge myself in presenting something to the Resourcing team; I feel this will push me out of my comfort zone, but it is necessary if I want to become any sort of manager in the future.
“The most rewarding aspect of what I’ve gained in my academic year on work placement is the confidence it has given me.”
– Reuben, T Level Student
What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?
I struggled at first with understanding the work culture and dynamic. For example, sending emails; how they were supposed to be phrased, or words that are now common to me but at the time confused me, like ‘onboarding’ or ‘procurement’. I feel I had to accept that for the first few weeks it would feel a bit alien to me. I overcame this once I started actual tasks and began working in a team. It made me feel more comfortable, it made the working environment seem more relaxed.
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