In August we were thrilled to welcome some students from the University of Kent into GIANT towers to do a two week work experience placement. We got them involved in lots of different aspects of the business, from shadowing our account teams to seeing how our internal marketing works. We were super impressed by the high level of talent, and we loved how passionate and enthusiastic they were!
During their placement they also got to show off their creative side by writing us some amazing posts we could put on the SGM blog. Over the next month we will be posting four blog posts written by the lovely students as a GIANT work experience series, so don’t forget to look out for them!
Here is the first blog post in the series, where Rebecca explains her top tips for anyone about to do work experience here at Sleeping Giant Media.
Hi all, this is Rebecca speaking, one of the four students at University of Kent who undertook work experience at Sleeping Giant Media. Before I proceed to my list, let me tell you something about the nature of the placement. We did a full two week, five days a week, 9am – 5.30pm rewarding office experience. We dipped our toes into digital creative, PPC and SEO, marketing, finance and video production. Now that you have a rough idea of the placement logistics, here are five things I wish somebody had told me before I started work experience.
1. Dress for the job
Being a woman my first and only question that I emailed Nell, the office manager at SGM, was about the dress code. I hope I can spare her from repeatedly answering a million similar questions by saying that all of the giants are pretty chilled out, which is reflected in the dress code and the friendly atmosphere in the office. Stay away from the annoying ripped jeans that are oh-so-popular right now. Another no-no is offensive T-shirts. Other than that, you are pretty safe to wear whatever… as long as you can climb into the ball pit!
However, if you are here for more than fashion advice, read on.
2. Pack yo lunch, sister!
Giants won’t let you starve, but bear in mind that there is no catering. You have an hour for lunch, which is plenty of time to go to the nearby supermarkets – after all, Folkestone is rather compact. The office is well supplied with tea, coffee, water and fruit, but your lunch should be something more satisfying.
I think I covered your two greatest first day fears, clothes and food, so it is appropriate to address some day to day realities.
3. Don’t forget bags of ideas, curiosity and questions
Don’t be shy! The giants will let you shine, if you have the courage to ask. They will listen to your suggestions and they will answer your queries to the best of their abilities. All in all, it is your work experience, so make the most of it.
4. Bring your game…
….your ping pong game. The 7th floor is like a Willy Wonka’s emporium, just less sweet. Unless we’re speaking of revenge, because that is indeed sweet. Giants are nice, but don’t be fooled when they challenge you to a ping pong duel. They become very competitive, very fast, which is a great skill in a competitive business such as media.
5. The implications! Dun-dun-duuuun.
If you are commuting, just like us, be prepared for the long days as you’ll spend extra time on public transport. Your day structure and priorities will change and no one will even send you a ‘welcome to adulting’ postcard. It will also test your time managements skills. You will attempt to juggle your placement, your job, your personal needs and relationships. Your mind will be clattered by thinking about food for dinner and food for lunch on top of everything else to consider.
So here you go. Welcome to adulting.
The bottom line. It is a placement and you are allowed to make mistakes. Giants are there to support you, to teach you and to guide you on your path of media experience. But it will give you something more. It will give you a preview of your potential future. This bite sized experience, which is largely fun, will give you an insight into the various jobs around the office, your abilities and your interests.
What better place for students to find out just how fun and exciting the working world can be? They’re very lucky.
Love Rebecca’s blog post. If she’s considering a career in website management/digital marketing, I’d love to hear from her. Justine and Jamie can put her in contact with me.