I’m nearing the very end of my Business & Finance placement at JR Management Accountancy, and I will return shortly to the University of Worcester for my final year of classes.
Before I go on to graduate, I wanted to list some fears and realities that I had faced before and during my placement, in hopes to connect with future placement students, and potential employers finding reasons why to recruit for placements.
Like anyone doing something for the first time, I developed a few fears that prevented me from being myself and learning diligently.
I was scared that I wouldn’t get along with anyone, and I was afraid of messing up first impressions, especially since JRMA had a small team. My first impressions weren’t terrible, but I wanted to do better. It was intimidating knowing I was stepping into an office where people already knew each other, and I was a new person in their space.
I didn’t know anything on my first day. The most I did was brush up on class subjects related to the role, but nothing could have prepared me for it. I wanted to show the team I was an amazing colleague. I walked into the OCM house office and felt a sudden realisation that I was ill-prepared. I had no actual in-office experience, and to my surprise I didn’t pick tasks up as quick as I thought.
I had been accepted into being a placement student at JRMA, but I was ultimately afraid of letting everyone down. Of course, in interviews, you must convey your best self, even if that is over-emphasised to get the point across. I didn’t want anyone to think I was being deceitful or inexperienced.
It was a career-culture shock, stepping into an office for the first time and working professionally. But I wasn’t confronted with harsh realities, instead, I quickly dismissed my fears and worries with the facts I faced.
Instead of being rejected, I was warmly welcomed by the team. Sure, it felt intimidating because I didn’t know anyone, but it’s like that in any new business. I was comfortable enough to ask for help, and ask questions, which helped me understand bookkeeping in general, including the mighty VAT rates!
It took multiple attempts and mentoring to understand the basics of most accounting software packages. I even learnt some extra skills that I didn’t expect to help me, especially in marketing, such as SEO, blog writing, and web design. The most important thing I learnt was:
Rushing makes mistakes, and thorough checking is important.
No one was expecting me to be perfect, especially since I was a fresh placement student. I realised they weren’t looking for a student that already knew everything, but they were looking for someone to mentor and teach for the year. The more mistakes I had made, the more I grew and learnt from them. I wouldn’t have learnt any of my current skills if I hadn’t failed first.
After debunking some of my fears, and realising what happened, I reflected on the skills I’m going to bring with me in my future endeavours.
In B2B, we have to understand the customer to understand their needs. So, it is a strange thing, meeting business owners and getting to know them. They all have their own personality and preferred method of completing tasks. I’m also understanding where my personality type fits in a team, so that I can efficiently work with others without conflict.
No one could have prepared me, an introvert, to meeting new faces and develop connections professionally. I thought it was ‘cringe’, because I was influenced by people on social media saying that. Then I started to network, with much begrudging discomfort, and saw the other side no one talked about (at least not on my media feed).
I started creating connections with other placement students, and people I looked up to. I wanted to keep our connections strong, so I engaged, and tried to have regular conversations with them. I then started to wonder what I could do, and instead of comparing myself to everyone else’s successes, I started working towards my own successes. Perhaps that’s what people on social media find scary, working towards your own goals, too busy to compare themselves to anyone else’s?
As funny as it sounds, I said this during one of our marketing meetings after an event I went to alone at the university. It just came out. The more I reflect on it, the more it makes sense. I had put an expectation upon myself before my first day at JRMA, which created these fears. Because these were expectations, my brain was not ready and was shocked when none of the fears came into fruition. I felt overwhelmed when I had made a small mistake or a small win, no matter what it was, it betrayed my fearful expectations.
So, I said “I didn’t die” when I was asked how the event went, because all those overwhelming fears and emotions had convinced me I would somehow.
I would like to say that I hit the ground running when I first started at JRMA, but it was very slow. I was picking up new skills and exposing myself to a new environment, of course it was. But I’m now leaving my placement with more skills, facts and knowledge, from when I first entered with chattering teeth.
You don’t know how far you’ve come, until you look back and reflect. I gave myself resources to reflect on by writing a blog post at the start of my placement, and in the middle.
If you’re planning on doing some work experience, or about to have your first day on the job, have an open mind to positive experiences. Don’t glue yourself to your fears, it will do you more bad than good in the long run. It’s okay to be nervous, but not okay to put unreasonable or worrisome expectations on yourself.
- Isabelle (Izzy) Absalom (2024-25 Placement Student)
