Classroom To Career: Rachael’s Work Experience

Meet Rachael — she recently completed her work experience with us here at Wessex IT!

Rachael has a keen interest in the exciting world of sales, marketing, content creation and social media! Rachael likes to see:

• how certain tasks throughout businesses are undertaken;
• how content is created using various programs and applications;
• what types of content can be created for certain situations;
• how all of the elements of social media are used to create engaging content;
• how members of the sales team work together to help sell products and services to valued customers;
• what specific roles within a business carry out which tasks,
• and how all departments work together to ensure the smooth running of a business.

As well as her career interests, Rachael keeps busy playing cricket, netball, and basketball for her school. In Rachael’s spare time when she’s not busy hitting the books, she’s hitting the gym and enjoys swimming as her hobbies, and loves hanging out with her friends.

Helping us create this blog article, we’ve asked Rachael to share her week while completing her work experience at Wessex IT. Let’s look at what Rachael got up to!

Rachael’s Week at Wessex IT

During my week at Wessex IT, I immersed myself in various aspects of the company, gaining important practical skills and insights. On my first day, I had a meeting with Andrew, the sales director, where we discussed my interests and he explained the company’s operations. This set the stage for a week of learning. Here’s a more detailed look at my experience:

Finance

I delved into the world of finance, learning how Wessex IT tracks its expenses. I gained a solid understanding of managing financial records and budgets, which is crucial for any business.

Services Administration

I got hands-on experience in services administration, learning the process of handling licensing and watching how to order parcels and send them off. Becky and I also drove to the post office to send off a package for a client, giving me real-world logistics experience.

Product Research and Profit Analysis

I conducted product research for products that Wessex IT had purchased for a customer with the help of Ryan, and calculated profit margins by comparing purchase prices with retail prices online. This taught me how businesses assess their profitability and make informed decisions.

Meetings Observation

Attending three different meetings gave me insight into team collaboration and decision-making processes. I observed how discussions and brainstorming sessions lead to effective business strategies.

Market Research

I researched other IT companies to understand their services and looked at differences and similarities to Wessex IT. This analysis highlighted the unique strengths and opportunities for Wessex IT in the competitive IT industry.

Technical Tools

I learned about the various tools used to repair computers and servers, enhancing my technical knowledge and understanding of IT maintenance.

Marketing

I explored Wessex IT’s marketing strategies with Cameron, the marketing apprentice. I learned various techniques and skills within different programs and applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign and Canva.

I discovered how to grow the business’ social media presence across various channels, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X, using a variety of different types of posts and content. Tracking social media engagement and follower metrics and plotting this data using Microsoft Excel was also interesting, showing me how digital marketing and social media content impacts business growth.

My Findings

This work experience not only taught me about office dynamics, but also equipped me with practical skills that I didn’t have before. I found that working in an office space was actually enjoyable, and I had fun collaborating with the entire Wessex IT team.

Overall, my week at Wessex IT was a valuable journey of learning and professional development. The knowledge and skills I gained are invaluable, and I am excited to apply them in my future endeavours.