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Name:                                                 Amy Boys

Course:                                               Media Production

Placement at:                                     Premier CX

Placement Job Title:                         Operations Assistant

Placement length:                             12 Months

Placement company website:          www.premiercx.co.uk

 

Three words to describe your placement:

Niche – An audio branding and customer service consultancy isn’t the sort of company you come across every day, and not one I thought I would be getting to know quite so well!  However, being niche has its advantages – I’ve been given the opportunities to work for some awesome clients.

Challenging – Learning to understand such a specialised industry, along with three members out of our six-member team leaving in December, has presented so many different challenges, pushing me beyond the limits I thought I had.

Developing – In 10 months, my responsibilities have sky-rocketed – I’ve been leading projects, teaching new members of the team and looking after a range of different clients.

Most interesting part of your placement?

I’m constantly learning from the amazing people I’ve met, and it’s always interesting to learn their tips and tricks of the trade and hear about the amazing experiences they’ve had in the industry.  It’s also interesting hearing about their different career paths leading them to where they are now.

Most enjoyable aspect of your placement:

Without a doubt, the people are what make my placement as enjoyable as it is – I’m regularly in stitches of laughter, and they’re so easy and interesting to talk to.

 

But, for a more work-related answer, getting free creative reign with projects and demos, running sessions with voice-overs and going on fun trips to visit clients (most recently, a trip to WWF where we got a tour of their sustainable offices and Living Planet Centre) are all really enjoyable features of the job!  Also, the team and I have even been involved in voicing some fun little productions ourselves, leading to some hilarious outtakes!

Making friends with the staff at WWF

What have you learned that you never thought you would have this year?

How much I can actually take on.  When people used to tell me “if you want something done, ask a busy person” it didn’t make much sense – if they’re busy, they won’t have the time?  But it turns out busy people are magicians who make time go slower so they can do more (or drink way too much tea & coffee, speeding up their heart rate so it feels as though time is slowing down… either way, it works a treat).  Pressure (and caffeine) makes me work so much better and I can cope with a lot more than I originally thought.  I’ve also learnt that having lots to do doesn’t mean staying late or skipping lunch, I’ve just had to up my prioritising game and learn how to concentrate my creativity into a short period of time.

What gave you the most satisfaction during placement year?

At the end of February, one member of the team, Matt, went travelling for a month and he asked me to look after things for him whilst he was away (everyone else was either new, had too much on already, or were training new people), and I was pretty chuffed he thought I was capable.  He played it down, (and still does) but he’s such a key member of the team, and in my eyes, holds things together – he’s that one person who can answer all your questions from the top of his head, or if not, he knows exactly where to look.  He also looks after some massive clients, including Apple and Eurostar (shameless name drop), and deals with the foreign language side of the company. So the most satisfying part wasn’t just being asked to cover him, but being able to pull it off!  It was also pretty nice to get recognition of a job well done from my manager and the big boss himself, Anthony, our CEO.

Unexpectedly getting sent flowers after creating some videos for a client was also super satisfying – it was a pretty stressful job getting them done in only 3 days, so it was lovely to get a thank you in the form of some beautiful flowers!

Two tips for future placement students:

  • Don’t be scared to take on responsibilities or projects you think are out of your league – it could be the best opportunity you’ll get all year.
  • If things aren’t going as smoothly as you’d hoped, try and make it an opportunity – if people are leaving, put yourself forward to help and take on more responsibilities; if you’re put in a different department for a little while because they’re running low on staff, take the chance to learn how the business works from their angle.

One example of how BU supported you during your placement:

Thankfully I haven’t needed too much support, but speaking to Vianna during my first catch-up was really motivating.  She gave me lots of ideas on how to really make the most of the last few months and how to get the best use out of summer too.

How has your placement helped focus your future plans?

I’m definitely set on working for a creative agency when I get out of Uni – I’ve loved getting to work for such a varied range of clients and learning about all the different sorts of brands out there, and how to creatively apply myself to each one.

Your LinkedIn account link:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyboys/

 

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