Work experience at Accuro
We recently had two wonderful students undertake work experience at Accuro and one of their tasks was to write a blog about their week. Here’s what they had to say…
Teagan’s experience…
“I had heard of the company since my mother worked in the office, and I have always thought that the work they did all around West Essex was incredible. Coming in every day has made me realise just how important it is, and how much more recognition they deserve. Each day has been a completely different experience, and I have been faced with an array of tasks from all sorts of fields, with the support of those in the office to help me.
Over the course of the week, everyone has taken the time to tell me everything they do for their job, and how they fit in to help the charity. On Monday I worked in Human resources, helping with the payroll to make sure everyone was paid successfully and on time. On Tuesday, the other work experience student, Poppy, and I took a trip to the bank to get a better understanding of finance and how money is used within the charity. In the afternoon we made a Wimbledon themed quiz for one of the clubs. On Wednesday, I worked in fundraising to create (on Canva), a few social media advertisements promoting some Accuro’ s partnerships with the Co-Op, and the Essex lottery. On Thursday, Poppy and I planned a summer party and developed a list of the supplies needed, keeping within a budget provided. We also helped to make some resources for an in-person survey for the service users and their families. Finally, today I have been trying to find out even more about everyone by interviewing a couple of the team members for my school, and Poppy and I will help to record a podcast episode this afternoon.
Overall, I have had an amazing time that has been so helpful for me to try and work out what I might want to do in the future. Everyone has been so supportive and friendly, and the office as a whole has a great dynamic, making it clear that this charity is fuelled by real kindness and a deep rooted passion. It has been a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anyone looking for work experience, whether they know what they want to do as a future career or not. I thank everyone in the office for being so welcoming! It has been a week that will be endlessly helpful with whatever I choose to do in the future.”
Poppy’s experience…
“I chose Accuro for my work experience because they offer the stepping stones for getting me into the job I want to do. I really enjoyed working here and I think it was the best possible choice for work experience and I really made the most of it. You are always kept busy, but I think that’s a good thing as you never get bored, and you are always engaged in the job. This adds to the experience because it is much like what the staff in the office are required to do. Everyone is so nice and welcoming, on top of that they are all so hard working. Even though they are busy with work they will make room to answer any questions you might have. I learnt so much when spending a day in each department.
On day 1 I was working with Sue, the Fundraising Manager, and I made a display on one of the boards on Canva, along with other little jobs that needed doing. I learnt how to use that website and it is very useful for many things other than making displays. After my shift I was lucky enough to attend the Cool Connections youth group and I had so much fun meeting the service users and Lauren who is in the job that I potentially want to do. Speaking to her was so interesting and it helped me have a clearer picture of what I would be doing. On day 2, I worked with Nicola in finance, and we were sorting out topping up the staff cards and creating new invoices. We also made a trip to the bank before moving on to making a quiz for the service users and helping Carmen with sorting the shelves out for a bit. I learned a lot that day, in finance I was able to learn about skills that are very useful in business.
On day 3, I was working with TJ, the HR and Office Manager, we were doing lots of tasks surrounding admin. I started off by a briefing of the day and what I was going to be doing, then I was shown the websites used. We did 2 DBS checks on staff and checked an MOT on another staff’s car. TJ had to interview a potential staff member and I was asked to sort out the folders of people who were leaving and do the appropriate protocol for taking them off the database. I had a lot of fun doing that because I really like how organised the spreadsheets were. On day 4, I helped Rhiannon and Katie. With Katie we briefly helped make an advertisement for one of the apps that help raise money for Accuro. With Rhiannon I was laminating and cutting out some sheets for a parent and child open day that she was organising to help Accuro with public opinion on the organisation. After that I helped plan the end of year party for the service users, gathering all the things needed and e-mailing the links and cost to Rhiannon. Finally on day 5 I was able to write the diary I was set by my school and writing this blog. I had to interview two people and fill out what I had been doing every day.
It was such an amazing experience that I recommend anyone wanting to go into a care setting to apply for.”
Are you looking for work experience or volunteering opportunities?
If you would like to apply for work experience at Accuro, get in touch with us at jobs@accuro.org.uk
If you would like to enquire about volunteering, please head to our Volunteer Application Form