I’m Yasmine, a 17-year-old year 12 student at Roundwood Park school, studying three A-levels: Maths, Biology and Psychology. I’ve spent this week here at Goodman Masson in various departments to gain a clearer sense of what I may like to do in the future by gaining real-world insight; I plan on continuing my studies at university once I’ve completed sixth form but was eager to further understand my strengths and interests outside of a school setting.

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I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my experience here; it has highlighted the various aspects which hold a business together and how there are endless pathways you can go down to suit your personal goals and skills.

After a tour around the office, I started my week in the finance department, a quiet but beneficial way to begin my work experience. The initial introduction of limitless financial statements and receipts was slightly overwhelming as I sat with those who seemed swarmed with numbers and spreadsheets. Despite their supposedly ‘boring’ tasks, they were the opposite- making my first day stress free and enjoyable. (Although I was still hesitant to type any number in and make a mess of my simple job I was assigned)  

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Luckily, I also had the pleasure of being taken out to lunch with the lovely Jess and Lucy on my first day, helping me feel settled in for the week with a delicious meal.

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My second day was spent on the 4th floor with HR, a contrast to the peaceful atmosphere on 6th. I was introduced to the different sectors of HR and what a new employee would experience when they first join, before creating a draft of a contract and offer letter. My afternoon consisted of adding various meetings to a timetable- exposing me to how busy people’s schedules can be, and the struggle of fitting everything in. (again I was hesitant at first, wanting everything to be perfect) Despite getting slightly lost on my way around the various levels and rooms, Tuesday was another insightful day, demonstrating how the different departments have contrasting jobs, but all necessary to support the business needs.  

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I had a great time on my 3rd day, spent with the G-NIUS Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) department. Following a small introduction to each of the friendly team, I was tasked with creating a job advert for a graduate role; this gave me an understanding of the specific attributes the hiring team were looking for to find who is best suited. After tagging along on a small (essentials) trip to Oxford Street with Sadie and Daisy, making me feel very welcome, I was introduced to the endless CVs the department are tasked with reviewing, to find the most suitable employee for the role posted on the real job advert. I spent the afternoon reading through candidates’ applications, only finding a couple which could be forwarded onto the next stage of the hiring process (alongside enjoying some strawberries and cream which were in the COZ in aid of Wimbledon)  

My final day spent here (today) is spent with marketing and client services, where I was introduced to the lovely Katie and Grace and shown the ins and outs of creating a website. Also, how everything is posted on all the social medias such as Blink and LinkedIn, and the importance of viewing the analytics to determine what results in highest engagement. I found this all insightful and interesting as the marketing side of things is something I’ve never been exposed to at school.

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Overall, my week here has been a great, valuable experience. I wish I could stay be a bit longer! I have loved how I got the chance to work in various departments across Goodman Masson and meet so many lovely people. I’ve felt very welcome and feel lucky that I chose to do my placement here, it's given me a greater understanding of the workplace as well as hearing how different people ended up in their roles - giving me comfort in the fact that I don’t need to know exactly what I want to do at this stage in my life.  

Click here to learn more about joining the Goodman Masson team.

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