The difference sharing one week in your organisation can make = “evident and undeniable”
Our Head of Programme, Claire McMaster facilitated a series of Industry Insight Sessions at Arden Academy with award-winning Birmingham PR agency East Village. When one young person was interested in finding out more than could be shared in the classroom setting, Claire and Hattie D’Souza, Director of People & Culture at East Village, arranged for her to experience a week of unforgettable work experience.
This is Eloise’s story …
From the moment I stepped through the doors at East Village I felt like an appreciated member of the team. Everybody who works there is unbelievably kind, welcoming and patient, making me look forward to every day of my “Grow your own internship”.
Everyday of my internship, I was excited to get to work, as each day taught me something new. East Village is an exceptionally inspiring place to work, and I was never bored or wishing for a different task. I genuinely enjoyed everything I did there and I loved working with such a thoughtful team who so evidently love to work with one another, proven by the constant flow of laughs and hardwork. I am yet to find another team even remotely comparable to the one at East Village!
I was tasked with managing social media accounts, planning brand events, and finding opportunities for brands. The whole team was extremely supportive and would always help me to overcome any challenges. The tasks were stimulating and enjoyable, they allowed me to awaken my creative streak and put it to use.
PR has always been something that interested me, and my internship at East Village only developed that interest even further. I left with a new found spark to pursue a career in PR in my future, something which I had been interested in, but had not previously considered. My compelling and rewarding week here has opened numerous new doors for me. East Village provided me with the foundations to build a career in PR upon and more, making me more excited for my future, and it is all thanks to the team at East Village. I am extremely thankful to East Village for opening these doors of opportunity for me as I now have a new, more exciting plan for my future.
I left my week long internship with invaluable transferable skills that I don’t believe I could have gained anywhere else. I left with teamwork,, creativity, technology and writing skills, all of which have helped me in my academics. The benefits of my internship here have been evident and undeniable since I completed it, and I am extremely grateful to the team for helping me to develop these skills and making me have such an incredible week that I will never forget.
The “Grow your own” scheme is truly a magnificent opportunity to be able to work within a wonderful team and develop skills that will help you throughout your entire life. I only wish it had been longer than a week!
One week, but a lifetime of skills and inspiration
One week, it is not a huge amount of time to give over to a young person, but the lasting impact it can have is evident in Eloise’s words above – “invaluable transferable skills that I don’t believe I could have gained anywhere else”.
Be a host
If you’re interested in offering similar opportunities to young people or learning more about the positive impact it can have on their lives, contact Claire directly at claire@workingoptions.org.uk, or find out more on our Get Involved pages. A small investment of time can lead to immeasurable rewards for both young talents and the organisations that support them. Join us in creating pathways to success, one experience at a time.
