On the prowl.......for Work Experience

For graduates-to-be, it can be a hard life obtaining experience in the domain of either your degree or your desired employment area. However, it’s all about perseverance, as I found out when I landed a part-time office role at glow…


First target: Know your appetite and your skills.
I knew I wanted experience in marketing and I knew the most suitable experience I had stemmed from my two years at university studying English Language and Linguistics.

Second target: Locate your prey.
Like a traditional boy scout, I knew I had to be prepared. Armed with a local phone directory, Google as my homepage, and my Blue Peter-esque pen and paper, I was ready for some research. Here’s what I did earlier: scanned through media, advertising and marketing agencies in the local area, checked out their websites and made a note of their contact details. I needed to know who companies were and what they did- I soon realized which companies it was worth contacting.

Third Target: Approach with caution and pounce at the right time.
I found it an advantage composing personal covering letters to accompany what I hoped was my fail-safe CV to each agency, after finding out to whose attention they should be sent. All I could do now was wait. And wait. And wait. At this point, I realized that agencies may or may not get back to people seeking work experience. If they didn’t call me, I called them and my tenacious approach was noticed.

Good things come to those who wait

Although my first attempts at securing work in a marketing agency didn’t pay off, my further attempts did. After meeting with Golden Cat and Lioness at glow marketing, I obtained a part-time office role for the rest of the summer.

My First Week at glow

Although I was fully geared up for being the tea girl, I soon realized that the glow office is all about being part of a team in which directors, part-timers and work experiencers make the drinks as much as the next person. I was also assured when it became apparent that I was wanted in the office for what I could contribute with my own experience, knowledge and abilities. I have therefore had the opportunities to research; compose initial emails for a project and write blogs- valuable practices for someone without previous experience, who is enjoying the process of actively observing the running of a successful marketing agency.

Becky Allen – Cheetah!