The concept of work experience can often bring a mix of excitement, nervousness and sometimes, dare I say it, dread. A week of working with a company as a student can feel a bit strange as it seems that some workplaces still haven't figured out how to collaborate with young people in a meaningful way. On this occasion, I found the week I spent working with ASquared to be a genuinely enjoyable and valuable experience. I was initially drawn to ASquared as I wanted to expand my knowledge on marketing and how to apply it to real-life work experiences.
To be completely honest, I didn't have the highest expectations, due to the usual image that springs to mind of students being asked to make coffee or tea or not getting to do much. However, I am happy to say that ASquared surprised me!
Meeting the team on my first day was slightly nerve-wracking, though I quickly became comfortable due to the welcoming and friendly atmosphere of ASquared. My first morning at the office was an informal meeting with myself, Amy (Communications Executive) and Soph (Head of Growth) in which we briefly discussed ASquared, what they do and how they work. It was clear from our conversation that ASquared is a company that takes pride in their work and how they have developed over recent years. I was surprised to learn the typical desk job isn’t all silence and slouched shoulders. At ASquared, the team is hybrid, meaning they work both at home for a few days a week and from the office the rest of the days. I found my experience of hybrid working to be helpful as it broke up the week and made coming into the office exciting.
Going into this experience, I felt I knew little about marketing and was stepping into an environment completely out of my comfort zone. I thought I would either be thrown into the deep end with work I would have no clue how to begin, or left to myself with nothing to do. However, I was happy to learn that Amy had prepared a schedule of the different tasks I would be completing throughout the week with no pressure to complete all of them. The great organisation and thoughtfulness made it easy to settle into the role as there was a genuine care about the experience I would be gaining and a focus on ensuring that I got what I wanted out of the week. The tasks ranged from marketing and PR to admin and creative writing. I liked that I had a mix of work to delve into as I would be walking away from this experience with multiple skills developed. Before this experience, I assumed admin work would be something that I wouldn't enjoy, however when updating spreadsheets with relevant data I found it to be calming and the switch up from writing was refreshing.
I’ve had the chance to read through blogs the team have written from the ASquared website and helped identify any potential errors such as broken hyperlinks, as well as highlighting the parts I liked the most (TheFork AppDelight was a personal fave). I was also given the opportunity to develop my creative writing skills as I was asked to write my own AppDelight blog on an app of my choice (as well as this work experience diary!). I decided on Vinted as I personally love using the app to both buy and sell clothes, and it also positively impacts the environment by helping combat the issue of textile waste.
Other than working with the marketing team, I was also able to have individual chats with other team members to learn more about their journeys and the projects they are working on. I spoke with Atinu (Product Designer) as I was curious to learn more about her role as a Product Designer and how she got into the field of design. I was interested to learn product design is not just about visual elements but also about enhancing the user experience.
I’ve had a chance to develop my social media writing skills too, writing a LinkedIn post welcoming me as a temporary member of the team. This was a great opportunity as it allowed me the chance to set up my own account and establish myself within the working community. I also learnt how to write a design brief and was able to put my new skills to use for some ASquared social media headers.
I’ve appreciated the time the ASquared team was willing to take out of their busy days to speak with me and answer my many questions. I was most interested in what their roles were within the company and the journey of their career from school to now. Each team member was inquisitive about my own interests and plans for the future and all showed genuine interest in what I aspire to do. I was able to speak with Ant (CEO) about his journey in starting the company and his previous projects. I really admired Ant’s mission for ASquared, to help small businesses, and his role as an investor of impactful start-up companies.
Overall, I had a memorable time at ASquared that I will carry with me through the rest of my studies and into my future career (whatever that may be). Thank you ASquared!
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