Louise Green was a Student Development
Assistant at Leicester University, responsible for organising
events within the Students’ Union and managing the Student
Societies and media groups – including the organisation of the
Freshers’ Fair and supporting the University’s radio station.
She has been an intern with Working Links since March
2010 and joined the scheme in October 2010.
Why did you decide to apply for the
scheme?
I was interested in developing my
management skills and entering a profession that is both
challenging and extremely rewarding. I have always been
interested in recruitment, having assisted the careers department
at university, and Working Links offers an excellent training
scheme with lots of opportunities to improve your skills in a
variety of different roles.
I have already had the opportunity to
experience different areas of the business across the country and
had valuable training in all aspects of the business.
Have you worked with anyone or a
particular team that has inspired you?
Working in the Northampton Office as a
jobsearch consultant, I have seen some excellent consultants at
work. They not only help people find work, but also help deal with
issues such as homelessness, and drug and alcohol addictions. It is
a great office to work in and the atmosphere is always
positive.
What qualities do people need to do
well in the job?
It’s such a customer-facing role, it is
important you have a lot of patience and are able to communicate
well with a variety of different people. It is a very challenging
programme, and it is vital that you are able to manage your time
effectively. As an internal candidate I already had a caseload of
clients, so it was very challenging to maintain fortnightly contact
and ensure my customers still had the best service available to
them.
What has been the best bit so
far?
I spent a week with the Business Support
Team in Nottingham, and I found it really interesting to see how
the contracts in different regions are managed and the emphasis
that is placed on accuracy and quality within the business.
What have you learnt and
contributed?
As a jobsearch consultant, I have learnt to
manage my caseload with an emphasis on adding value to our
customers’ journey. It’s important that our customers not only find
work but also enjoy the work they are doing and know that there are
opportunities to progress their career. I am looking forward to
assisting with the Work Programme next year and working on my own
project in the next few months.