Michelle Scott, Work Experience with DGTAP
Michelle Scott, 23, Work experience with DGTAP
“I would rate the DGTAP service a nine out of ten, as everyone that works there is very friendly and approachable, and it is a comfortable environment to work and learn in.”
After leaving school, I found it difficult to find a job, as I didn’t have the best opportunities growing up and struggled to develop my skills for work. The options available to me at school were very limited and there was no opportunity to get a work experience placement.
I am a mother of a young child and I am currently unemployed, however I attend weekly work experience sessions in the DGTAP office, which I really enjoy. I have a keen interest in admin related work and the skills I am learning at DGTAP are exactly what I need to build on my office experience and to develop my CV.
On a typical day at the DGTAP office I am expected to do filing for the different link workers, and from time to time I get to update invoicing records and spreadsheets. In general, I am focused on developing my IT skills and learning about different admin procedures within the Council.
Once a week I get the opportunity to shadow another member of staff on reception, which has proven a very useful experience, as it is front-facing and has allowed me to develop and improve my people skills. I have also shadowed staff in a variety of other departments, and this has opened my eyes to the different types of job roles and has developed my understanding of the service as a whole. I now feel confident that I understand how DGTAP can help people like myself into employment, education or training.
As part of my training I have completed multiple online courses, such as data protection, advocacy and lobbying, and records management. In general, I have also improved my ability to use Microsoft Office, in particular Excel and Word. Acquiring all this extra knowledge and experience has proven really satisfying, as DGTAP have provided me with the opportunity to do something for myself to help me in the future.
The biggest challenge I faced during my work experience placement here, was feeling very intimidated at first, as I didn’t have any experience of working in an office environment. However, the longer I have spent here and the more experience I have gained, the more confident I have become and now I can’t wait to start a full-time job in administration.
I would describe the DGTAP service as friendly and approachable. The staff at DGTAP are very good at working with unemployed people, to help them improve their CV’s, build self-confidence, learn how to approach interviews and how to search and apply for jobs.
Overall, I would highly recommend the DGTAP service to anyone struggling to gain employment. My work experience placement has provided me with the opportunity to see the good work they do first hand.
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