WORK EXPERIENCE // A&L GOODBODY
My first week of work experience was in A&L Goodbody, provided by the step in program. I was among 40 other students from different schools. Immediately when we arrived we were split into groups of 10, and began some bonding exercises.
Throughout the week we were given presentations of what goes on in the different sectors of law, given by employees from each of the departments. The talks gave an interesting insight into the what a career in law involves, and what steps are necessary to get there.
During the week also, we shadowed employees from different departments. We did this order to gain experience into what working in an office environment is like, and to get gain a deeper understanding into what the employees do on daily basis.
One of the tougher tasks during the week was the mock interviews, but this also proved to be one of the most rewarding. We were placed in a hypothetical situation, in which we were applying for the role of a sales assistant in a sports store. We then had an interview with a member of the HR team, where our CV was reviewed and we answered real interview like questions. There were many lessons I took from this and will apply in the future.
My favourite part of the week were the trips to Trinity College, the Four Courts and also the Criminal court. Firstly we were given a tour of Trinity, and a brief lesson on the history of the college. This was followed by a trip to the courts, in which we sat in for two different cases; one involving the Church of Scientology, and the other a murder case. This was my first time in court and I really gained a lot from the experience.
Overall, I really enjoyed the week and feel I gained valuable lessons from the experience. It was an action packed week, while remaining easy going and enjoyable all the same.
My first week of work experience was in A&L Goodbody, provided by the step in program. I was among 40 other students from different schools. Immediately when we arrived we were split into groups of 10, and began some bonding exercises.
Throughout the week we were given presentations of what goes on in the different sectors of law, given by employees from each of the departments. The talks gave an interesting insight into the what a career in law involves, and what steps are necessary to get there.
During the week also, we shadowed employees from different departments. We did this order to gain experience into what working in an office environment is like, and to get gain a deeper understanding into what the employees do on daily basis.
One of the tougher tasks during the week was the mock interviews, but this also proved to be one of the most rewarding. We were placed in a hypothetical situation, in which we were applying for the role of a sales assistant in a sports store. We then had an interview with a member of the HR team, where our CV was reviewed and we answered real interview like questions. There were many lessons I took from this and will apply in the future.
My favourite part of the week were the trips to Trinity College, the Four Courts and also the Criminal court. Firstly we were given a tour of Trinity, and a brief lesson on the history of the college. This was followed by a trip to the courts, in which we sat in for two different cases; one involving the Church of Scientology, and the other a murder case. This was my first time in court and I really gained a lot from the experience.
Overall, I really enjoyed the week and feel I gained valuable lessons from the experience. It was an action packed week, while remaining easy going and enjoyable all the same.
WORK EXPERIENCE // BLACKROCK CLINIC DENTISTRY
My last work experience placement was in Blackrock Clinic Dentistry. This was a very different experience to my last placement, but it was a great insight into a career in medicine, and was a complete contrast to the law I had previously done. My week consisted mainly of shadowing a dentist and getting a feel for what they do up close, but i also worked with the receptionist, and got a feel for the business side of the clinic. This was a more interactive part of the week, as I was able help out more in terms of sorting files, doing the post and keeping records of patients.
I also worked on their social media, helping to spread their page and gain more followers on both Facebook and instagram; I even convinced a few friends to like the page!
It was a fun week and very informative as well, as I really know what a career in dentistry entails now.
WORK EXPERIENCE // GRANT THORNTON ACCOUNTANTS
My work experience placement in Grant Thornton was cut short due to the snow. I only completed two days in the firm, but it was still a good learning experience. My day mostly revolved around filing and photo copying, and to be completely honest I found it a bit boring! Obviously I wasn't expecting to be dealing with anything too important, but a bit of a variation throughout the day would have made it a bit more interesting!
Overall it was a good experience but I have decided I do not want to do accountancy.
Community Service // Dublin Simon Community
My last placement of the year was a week of community service, with Dublin Simon Community. I worked in a charity shop and I learned the ins and outs of a retail store.
Despite it only being a week long, I felt I got a really good experience in dealing with clothes, as well as dealing with customers on the till.
The first part of the week mainly consisted of sorting through the donations, and pricing clothes based on the condition they were in. I then steamed the clothes and tagged them, before putting them on the shelves.
I was on the till for the later part of the week, which was a good experience in dealing with money and people. Some customers a bit more difficult to deal with than others!
Learning how to use the till was a very useful part the of the week and something I can put on my cv for future jobs.
I was actually surprised at the amount of people who shop in the charity shops, and how donations make such a difference for some people. This was definitely a worth while experience, and I would be happy to help out in the charity shops again some time.