Last week, the team welcomed Kinga a pupil at Kingstone Highschool. The week of work experience provides a valuable opportunity for students to explore different career paths and gain practical knowledge in a professional setting.
Each day Kinga worked in a different team in the diocese and had a chance to see the diverse types of professional roles from front line ministry to finance to communications to learning about how the post and phones work on the front desk. We hope we gave her a good overview of the inner workings of the central team.
We were delighted when Kinga agreed to let us interview her at the end of her work placement. Here is what she shared with us at the end of her week of work experience.
I: Hello, Kinga. It has been an enormous pleasure to meet you and we hope you have enjoyed your week. Can you tell us a few things that you have enjoyed most about your work experience week?
K: One thing that I have been able to get a lot more experience and knowledge of this week has been about the worlds of marketing and finance world. Many might think there is not much going on in the diocese but there is genuinely a lot to learn from the business side of it. Even though it is a charity, there are still principles of business as well as a strategy. Another thing that I enjoyed about this week is the people and the vibe of this place.
I: Tell us about three people you enjoyed meeting this week?
K: I cannot just name three people because I was in a different setting with different people and departments every day. I have been treated in the same kind and welcoming way by everyone. Everyone in each department from Communications, Finance and even Reception were all lovely.
I: What have you learned?
K: I have had an insight into Communications, so how they use social media to advertise and gain the attention of people as well as the design aspect of their work. When having a look into what the team on reception do is pretty much a bit of everything! They help with guests, and they also gather information to help other departments. It is all important because they help everyone. And in the Finance area, I have learned the most about business, how money comes in and out, and how to sort it.
I: Has any of it helped you decide what type of work you want to do when you finish school?
K: It has given me more information for when I have my own business. I hope to have one day. I would say it has helped me decide because if you asked me a week ago, I would have said that I have no idea but now I [sort of] do.
I: What do you think you will remember about this experience say in three months’ time?
K: I genuinely believe I will remember it all because of the atmosphere and experience I have gained this week – thank you!