From a Level 4 to a Level 9: How Work Experience Mentoring Boosted Mia’s Confidence

After a successful initial work experience placement with our Marketing and Communications Team back in March, Mia returned to our office to dive even deeper into the world of marketing. 

Eager to sharpen her skills, expand her industry knowledge, and build an impressive personal statement for her university applications, she stepped back through our doors for a second round. We sat down with Mia to talk about mastering the marketing basics, preparing for higher education, and how supportive mentoring took her workplace confidence from a 4 all the way to a 9.

Q: Welcome back! Having previously joined us in March, what made you want to return for a second placement?

Mia: Honestly, this is one of the best work experiences I’ve been on, but also heard about! After my first placement in March, I really wanted to come back to enhance my skills and build on what I’d already learned. I knew it would be a fantastic way to boost my university personal statement and show my dedication to studying marketing at degree level.

I’ve had the chance to get involved with loads of different parts behind marketing, which helped me really understand why it’s so important. Beyond that, just seeing how a professional workplace operates is something you simply can’t get in a classroom at school or college.

Watch Mia’s video below.

Q: Stepping into an office can be daunting at first. How did your confidence evolve throughout your time with us?

Mia: I was quite nervous coming in on my first day, but everyone was really nice and made me feel right at ease. Overall, I’d say my confidence level went from a 4 to an 8 or 9!

That came from learning the theory behind marketing, meeting so many knowledgeable professionals, and getting to put that theory into practice. Having the opportunity to thrive in a real office environment like this isn’t something you get in very many other places.

Q: What practical skills did you get to dive into hands-on?

Mia: I definitely learned how to adapt my writing style to be more professional. For example, I got to see how press releases are sent out to journalists across the country, and why it’s so critical to write them in a way that’s easy to read while getting the core message across.

I was also taught how to handle tasks on my own—from research projects to drafting releases—which gave me a lot of independence.

Q: Did this experience help solidify your decision to pursue marketing at university?

Mia: Definitely. I had a light idea that I wanted to go into marketing, but getting down to the basics—like brand storytelling and the core pillars—showed me that once you master the baseline, everything builds on top of that and you can make anything possible.

Hearing the perspectives of people who have been in the industry for so long was an eye-opening experience. It completely confirmed for me that marketing is definitely the choice for my future and my higher education journey.

Q: What was the biggest personal takeaway from your time with the team?

Mia: It made me realize that entering a new, unfamiliar environment doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking. It’s actually a great way to think on your feet, expand your confidence, and focus on personal development in a way that helps you for the future. Even small things—like how cool and bright the office space was—made it totally different from standard school experiences.

Q: Effective mentoring makes all the difference during work experience. How was your experience being mentored?

Mia: Gary’s been brilliant! He put a lot of effort into making sure my work experience showed me the ropes of everything, and he really went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. Huge props to Gary!