Toby's Work Experience

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Toby Lees Work Experience | Placement

When I was given the chance to complete my work experience at Rawnet for two weeks I jumped at the opportunity. Having heard about this leading digital agency through family connections I knew it was the perfect place for me to experience a positive working environment.

Walking through the office doors on day one, I immediately knew that I was going to have the best experience. Lots of friendly faces made me feel welcome and at ease very quickly. Here's a summary of my experience and what I enjoyed most about joining the Rawnet team. 

 

What knowledge did I gain from my work experience with Rawnet?

My placement has helped me gain lots of different experiences in all departments at Rawnet. I spent time with Graphic Designers, Marketing Strategists, Optimisation Specialists, UI Developers, BE Developers, Project Managers, and Account Managers.

With my work placement being two weeks long, I would spend a day or two with each department, meeting the team members. I would join calls with members of certain departments and have one to ones about projects and client work that they were actively working on. This gave me a clear overview of all the different areas of the agency and how the business actively works.

Throughout my two weeks I joined different teams to learn new skills and experiences. I was fully immersed into the way agencies work. Working with such a variety of people gave me an insight not only into how a professional business works but how a digital agency works effectively. Having never worked in an office environment before, this was ideal for me to get some hands-on experience. I saw a great team morale all striving for the best results for their clients. 

 

What stood out for me the most?

From day one I felt like a member of the team, everything was planned out and Heather the Studio Manager & Head of Culture onboarded me and got me settled in quickly. I was invited to attend internal team meetings and even client meetings to understand the atmosphere and have an understanding on how they work. This was quite nerve racking at first but in the end turned out to be a really positive experience and helped me learn how to act in these situations.

The team were quite busy with their own projects and work, but this did not stop them from putting in effort and making time to explain to me in detail about their work. I experienced 1-2-1s with different team members who trained me based on their department. They went into significant detail allowing me to have a full understanding. I was also involved with work surrounding the department that gave me experience on the work they actually do.

On my first day I was quite nervous to enter the office, but soon found out that Rawnet had a chilled but professional environment. Everyone helped me feel at home and I settled in quickly. Heather helped introduce me to everyone I was going to be working with. After showing me around the office it was clear that the environment was not like a typical office, instead it was friendly and relaxed.

 

What would I say to other students looking for work experience?

To any other students looking for work placement or fresh graduates looking to enter the workplace, the skills I have gained from working in a digital agency are remarkable. These are skills I will be able to transfer to any aspect of work and in my next job.

Being involved in client calls, team meetings and being a part of the general team allowed me to recognise and learn things that I would not have been able to gain from college. Being part of a digital agency and experiencing how a team-based environment works will allow me to get my foot in the door when it comes to applying for jobs.

A final summary

Overall, I have had an amazing time here at Rawnet. I’ve seen new software, I’ve learnt in depth how each department works and most importantly, how a professional company works as a team. I have had a proper chance to experience the industry and it has allowed me to realise what my potential career path could look like. 

The team is incredible, and everyone had the time of day to make sure I fully understood their role and what a normal day would look like to them. It has been a very memorable experience and opened doors for my future. Thank you to everyone in the Rawnet team who has taken time out for me and allowed me to maximise my experience – I would love to return soon!