Millie`s First day of Work Experience

Despite initially feeling very nervous about my work experience at Young Barnet Foundation once I`d had my induction I felt at ease. I was introduced to the team, received my timetable for the four days and a leaflet on the work of the charity, so as I felt prepared for the next few days. Having read through my timetable I realised the tasks set for me were in line with my interests and was keen to make a start on them.

Firstly, I had the opportunity to interview Charlotte about her work at the Barnet teenage market for a blog post. She was a very enthusiastic and informative interviewee, who was able to cover everything that interested me about the teen market. Not only was this a chance to make others aware of the work Young Barnet Foundation does at the teen market, it also enabled me to become aware of an exciting event that takes place fairly locally that I was completely oblivious to. Subsequently, I realised how little I knew about opportunities for young people in Barnet, as a young person in Barnet and how essential work to promote these opportunities is.

In the afternoon, I began working on the turnover research project imputing data on the income of charities over time. This enabled me to revisit valuable skills that I seemed to have left behind when I stopped studying statistics – I hadn’t seen that many numbers in a long time! Whilst imputing these I was surprised at just how many charities operate in Barnet helping young people, some were familiar to me some were not.

Overall, after my first day I had learnt a lot more about Young Barnet Foundation, charities in Barnet and the nature of office work. I was grateful to have an opportunity to practice writing in different formats and contexts, rather than just sitting in a classroom completing an essay. I hope to develop these skills over the next few days and to have further opportunities to expand my knowledge on the work of the charity.