This week, while I’ve been off on my travels, we’ve had a young chap by the name of Ben Paine (picture above – say hello Ben) in and around the office helping out with whatever he can and trying to learn as much along the way.
The poor devil got lumped with me a few days back and, as part of his work experience/internship, I’ve asked him to put a blog post together outlining how he feels about his time here to date.
This is Ben’s first ever blog post and has taken the task very, very seriously – all comments and feedback is welcome… so without further ado,
Ben, over to you:
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Hi guys, I’m Ben 
Over the past six months I’ve been putting significant effort (along with Jeff Wellstead, Lizzie Bewick and Nicola Jones) into securing a work experience placement for 2 weeks at “SpinVox” in Marlow.
Was it worth it??
Of course it’s been worth it; the people, the progress and the atmosphere inside the office make the experience something I will never forget. However the journey to and from is something I probably will forget.
To start with, let me put you in my shoes; you have never worked before (ever), you arrive in Marlow at 7.30 in the morning (nice and early), dressed in your finest suit ready to make your all important “first impressions”. You find a cafe (of which the high street is densely populated) buy a hot drink and a paper, and begin to calm yourself down.
Until it suddenly dawns on you that you are costing this business thousands of pounds- the time the staff take to show you what’s what, the work those staff can’t do because you need to be looked after, the time it takes the staff to sort out the inevitable problem you get yourself into during the first day. All this adds up to valuable money; of which any business cannot afford to lose, particularly during this economic climate.
The first part of this adventure, is meeting the team who will accompany you along your journey. Department by department, person by person, you rapidly appreciate the vast variety of people within this rather small office. You quickly come to the realisation that you will have a great time with some, others you may not enjoy your time with as much; everyone though does share one ambition in common; the strong desire to make sure you have a worthwhile two weeks.
Now you come to the part you might just feel like you have some experience at; the work. However you are soon proved wrong, your brain is flooded with new skills; using computers, designing PR boards and new filing systems. My first job did involve redesigning the PR board (which all of 200 Marlow based employees walk past daily) – clearly a very important job, not one to get wrong. But yes you guessed of course I got it wrong. I did however successfully dismantle the board, but selecting the most recent and relevant articles wasn’t quite so easy. I had somehow managed to mount all current articles from any digital and non- digital media about SpinVox – only then was I to realise there were far too many – explaining the “ shove everything up and see what it looks like” feel to the board.
Not what the PR team of the year were looking for; it was no longer their Pièce de résistance; it was now more in the category of visual pollution. Fortunately for me my second attempt, with more help from the department themselves, did however portray a positive, clear and consistent message- illustrating to me (and hopefully others) just how much positive media attention this business generates. Corr Blimeyy!!
Other jobs soon piled up thick and fast, occupying my precious time here. Some of which took my interest more than others. I accepted the jobs that no one wants, but has to do once in a while: filing invoices, photocopying, or even dashing out for the much desired (by most) “Starbucks run”.
These less enthralling jobs were soon forgotten as I found myself attempting more complex and brain engaging tasks; for example testing new software, internally refurbishing computers and finally discovering the power of “Twitter”, not only for individuals, but also for companies. The fact that digital PR (social media communications) is already crucial and that its importance will continue to grow, if businesses are to communicate successfully with their new increasing online audiences.
To you, these jobs may not seem any more enticing than photocopying or filing; but to a technology enthusiast like me, this was rapidly becoming heaven.
How lucky was I??
So, what about the team venturing through these harsh economic conditions, how were they coping with this new obstruction (that to them has just happened to suddenly arrive in their daily lives)?
Well from my observations, the answer would have to be brilliantly.
I found myself working in at least four different departments, adjusting my still overwhelmed mind to befriending anyone I happen to meet or talk to whilst working my way through daily assignments. Luckily I was successful in finding common ground with most, ranging from daily politics, to” The Ashes” or which celebrity you look like. This large group of people were providing me with “life experience” as well as work experience; of which I didn’t bargain for. Their willingness to interact with me has taught me so much more than just how to data cleanse or how to test software.
I have learned how to actively participate in a successful, progressive, working environment- not included under the “skills I have learned” section in my record book. Surely these attributes are infinitely more valuable than learning how to work a photocopier, or how to reorganize clothes racks.
So any downsides, any reason I possibly wouldn’t want to put myself in this situation again?
No. Not really. Only public transport defies me of a perfect work experience; mind you, public transport provides a constant irritation in most people’s daily lives. If I was a year older and could drive would not have to mention this but hey, everything has a catch, right?
Lastly then, to conclude, what have I, a 16 year old, who hasn’t previously been near this company, learned about this business, the way it functions, and where it’s going? If I were to give an honest answer it would be too much to write down.
If I had to compress then; I have seen clearly how this business has the finest, committed staff to make this business function as efficiently as possible, I can see how from being here two weeks, this business is quickly developing, growing globally and making the speech to text market its own and finally most importantly how the owners are showing unswerving faith in the troops, galvanising them into the forthcoming venture into the unknown.
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