Joe, what first made you think about hiring a work experience student?
Joe: We'd never taken on a work experience student and we'd always wanted to. This seemed like a good time as we wanted some assistance with a few different things. I saw the article through Creative Cardiff’s newsletter, and thought it would be really good to get somebody on board.
Isabella, what did you think when you saw the role at Clear The Fog advertised?
Isabella: When I was looking at the different opportunities, I read through the job description carefully and found that this opportunity really aligned with what I wanted to do, which is documentary journalism. The application process was really simple and I was able to complete the application in one sitting.
And how was the interview for you?
Isabella: The interview was really good. I was nervous but Joe and Meg (Megan Jenkins, Clear The Fog’s Producer/Editor) were both really chilled and welcoming, which helped my nerves a lot. I prepped a lot for the interview because I'd only done a couple of interviews before, but not for something that aligned with my career.
Joe: The thing that impressed me the most with Isabella is that she did background research into us knew about us and what we did. She'd already done some placements where she'd done some copywriting, and she was obviously very proactive.
Isabella, how did you feel on your first day, and what sort of things did you do on your first session at Clear the Fog?
Isabella: I was still really nervous, but I quickly felt more relaxed. Joe and Meg asked me about the skills I wanted to learn, and then they give me tasks that corresponded. So, it felt like a personalised placement and they actually cared about what I was looking to get out of it.
What sort of tasks were you doing?
Isabella: It was mostly copywriting and I did a bit of editing after I said that I was interested in it. The shoots were probably the most valuable part for me, even though I was mainly observing what went on. I wanted to learn about was goes on behind the scenes because it’s what you don't really get to see, until you do it yourself. Just seeing how it works was really informative.
Joe: Isabella also helped us with the casting and also did some editing using Premiere Pro.
She also really helped us with our website, which is really important from a marketing point of view. We do an immense amount of work every year, but we very rarely get to showcase it just because we're moving on to the next thing so quickly. So Isabella helped us write up about projects that we've done in the past. And she took a lot of the behind-the-scenes photos which we've used on Instagram.
It was important that whoever we took on was going to get on with our clients. These are paying clients and we felt quite comfortable because she came across so professionally and personably. She was great with them and they've come back and said thank you and that she was a lot of help.
So you mentioned earlier, Isabella, that you were nervous going into a work environment. Do you feel less nervous now you've had this experience?
Isabella: Oh yeah, it's grown my confidence and made me a lot more familiar with a workplace that reflects the career that I want to go into, rather than the pub, a part time job I was doing. And going through the interview process has given me a lot more confidence as well.
Joe, how would you persuade other employers to a work experience placement a go?
Joe: I’d say it’s just been a really positive experience for us, it’s been great help, and it’s been a really rewarding process having somebody come on board and learn something new and help us along the way!
The process of recruiting was also really straightforward. You made it very easy, took me through the process step by step. There was only a couple of forms and if there was anything missing that I didn't include, you were quite quick to come back and say, yeah, ‘fill this bit in’ or ‘I need this detail’.
Work with a Cardiff University student
The Student Futures Work Experience Team at Cardiff University can support you with a range of opportunities. Their two most popular opportunities are 'learning and doing' style 'Insights' placements and paid internships, both of which aim to bridge the gap between academic study and vocational experience. These opportunities allow students to apply the theory and skills gained during their degree to practical and professional work.
This service is free-to-use. To find out more, or to book an introductory meeting, please email workexperience@cardiff.ac.uk.