Sixth form students share their experiences from Work Shadowing

All Year 12 students undertook two days of Work Shadowing at the end of the summer term. CEIAG Coordinator Mrs Payne and her colleague Mrs Ritchie are in the process of organising Work Shadowing for our students later this academic year. Please read a selection of their reports below to find out more about the students' interesting experiences.

ITV – Andrew McNaughton. "I was lucky enough to be offered two days of work shadowing at ITV in Holborn. On my first day, I went to a live recording of ‘Loose Women’. It was fascinating to observe a television show in the actual studio. I also spent time with the advertising team. The second day was spent with one of ITV’s commercial solicitors which was very interesting. It was an incredibly beneficial couple of days which helped to clarify my career options."

ISG – Luke Thomas. "For my work shadowing I went to the construction company ISG and their office in New Hanover Street. The job role that I was shadowing was both a project manager and a quantity surveyor. On my first day I sat in a project meeting where I found out that each individual detail of the build has got to be perfect to ensure total client satisfaction. On my second day, I went to the site of the new building that is under construction. I also sat with the quantity surveyors and observed the accounting process for the main external shell of buildings. This was a fantastic opportunity which I really enjoyed."

SGAT Philosophical Publishing – Martin Rafferty. "Encompassed by antique books, crumbling around the binding and dribbling dust from their jackets, I was truly in my element. SGAT specialises in the sedulous re-publishing of out-of-print tomes specialising in philosophy and theology. I was involved with cataloguing stock, tracking old patrons on Excel, editing for typographical errors, and sorting in the main warehouse. I never knew that publishing entailed so much, and was so much fun!"

House of Commons – Iris Pyatt. "Earlier this summer I was given the opportunity to take up a work shadowing placement in the House of Commons and the Ministry of Justice. After contacting David Gauke, I was invited to Portcullis House in order to observe and shadow the Minister for Justice's daily routine. When we first arrived at Portcullis House we were given a brief speech on the obligations and responsibilities of the Minister whilst being given a tour of the house. After this, we were led through a passage that opened up into the House of Commons where we were given a tour of the Parliament and its history, including the 1640s storming of Parliament by King Charles I. We walked along the route taken by any monarch who visits the Commons. After a talk with David Gauke in which we could ask any questions about working in London and life working for the Prime Minister. He also gave us advice as to how to apply for the FastTrack programme and ways in which we can get ahead at university for applying for work inside the Civil Service. At the end of the day we were given details about future work experience opportunities. It was an incredibly interesting experience and it has definitely helped me set my mind on my career path, and also provided me with help and support for any future jobs!"

Institute of Contemporary Music – Max Woollett. "Through my business mentor, Martin Day, I had the opportunity of spending four days at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in Kilburn in July 2019. ICMP is a university alternative for those looking to specialise in the music industry, offering degrees such as Creative Music Production, Music Business and Song writing. It was a really valuable experience and one I’d recommend to anyone looking to experience what it is like to look at a whole business from top to bottom. Over the course of the week I spent a few hours with all of the different departments within ICMP. These included Facilities, Marketing, Events and Careers and Industry. Everyone who I spoke to was really friendly from the CEO to students who were using one of the many practice rooms during the summer. It was a great week and even made me consider doing the Music Business course!"

TUI – Jennifer Wright. "For my work shadowing placement with TUI, I shadowed the Cruise Entertainment Manager, who oversees all entertainment on TUI cruise ships. On the first day, I was given a tour of the office and shown the structure of the company with all the various departments and how they interacted. I found out about the variety of jobs available within the company. I shadowed an ordinary day to begin with, seeing the work involved in evaluating creative ideas sent by external companies, sitting in on a town hall meeting and interacting with colleagues. On the second day, I got the opportunity to visit the offices of one of the creative companies TUI works with, TED. I was shown the facilities at the office, the various departments albeit on a smaller scale, and was able to write and record my own advert in the recording studio there as well as assist in testing of a virtual reality game. Among the entertainment provided on TUI’s cruises are the West-End style shows. My work shadowing coincided with the rehearsal of one of those shows, so I sat in on it and was able to experience the development of a theatrical production at every stage. My two days with TUI gave me an excellent overview of the wide variety of creative positions available within the company, and a greater insight into the work needed to produce a show."