In this article, Year 10 Student Raihan Uddin reflects on his Work Experience placement at whY-us?
By Raihan Uddin
Starting work experience placement at whY-us? Marketing was a completely new experience for me.
It was my first time working in an office environment, which was very different from being at school. Instead of being surrounded by my friends and teachers, I was working with people I had never met before.
At first, I felt nervous about asking them questions. However, after a few hours I became much more comfortable and confident, thanks to the support of people in whY-us? and the business centre.
On my first day, I was shown around the building and learned about the health and safety procedures, including the fire evacuation plans, as well as where the eating facilities where located. This helped me settle in the workplace quickly by becoming more familiar with my surroundings and of course ensuring I was safe.
Supportive environments
During my work experience placement, I also learnt about the. business centre and the important role it plays. I discovered the business centre creates a professional community where different businesses can work together and support each other. For example, businesses have built supportive relationships and can borrow equipment such as microphones for podcasts. I also saw how they can share meeting spaces and access shared facilities instead of buying everything themselves. Being shown around building also helped me understand how these shared facilities make the workplace more efficient, convenient for everyone and create a small community.
In terms of the day to day work and activities, I learned what a marketing agency actually is and does. I found out that many businesses use marketing agencies because they may not have the time, skill, or knowledge to complete tasks such as building websites or promoting their business online. A marketing agency can provide these services whenever they are needed, meaning businesses only need to utilise them at relevant times to their activities, making them a cost effective resource This showed me how agencies help businesses save both time and money while still getting professional results.
Learning about website development and content management
One of the most interesting parts of my work experience was learning how websites are created. I was introduced to WordPress, which is a platform used to build websites, and Elementor, a drag and drop tool that makes designing webpages much easier. I also learned how important it is to check websites carefully before they go live to make sure everything works correctly. If there are any spelling errors, problems or bugs, they need to be investigated and fixed before the website is published. This gave me a better understanding of the amount of work that goes into creating a professional website.
The path to becoming a Mechanic?
I have learnt from this work experience placement in many ways. I now have a much better understanding of what it is like to work in an office and how to behave in a professional workplace.
It has improved my confidence when speaking to new people and shown me the importance of communication and teamwork. The experienced also encouraged me to think more about my future career and consider getting a job when I leave school.
Although I found office work interesting, it also helped me realise that I also enjoy practical, hands-on work even more. This has helped to reaffirm becoming a motor mechanic is still the career path I would like to explore.
This placement has still been a valuable experience that has taught me new skills, increased my confidence, and given me a better understanding of the working world.
Thank you for supporting
I also wanted to thank the founder of whY-us? Marketing Richard Singleton. He has taught me so much about the business industry, helped so much with my work and he was so kind and welcoming.
It may have only been 5 days long, but he has taught me so much. We also debated who’s the best footballer and why United are better than Everton (although he completely disagreed). I am very thankful of him for teaching me.
Written by Syed Raihan Uddin.
whY-us? Social Values and Partnerships with work experience placement
Supporting young people into employment is a core part of the whY-us? Marketing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) commitment.
Working alongside the Lancashire Skills Pledge, Blackburn College, Education Business Partnership North West, other Colleges, Secondary and Primary Schools across Lancashire, we regularly provide industry insight, work experience placement, mentoring and careers engagement. We believe this all supports students develop practical skills, confidence and gain a clearer understanding of future career opportunities.
