Where do I belong?

It is very backwards and forwards in this job. Some days I am very happy with how things seem to be progressing and other days I get very upset and frustrated with the way I am treated. Recently I have been finding it very difficult as the changes in the company structure have begun to take effect and I have still been told absolutely nothing. Many people in my area and department have begun training for new roles. The documentation team, which I am a part of and work with two times a week, are merging with the customer support department (or at least that is what I have heard from the gossip around the office). I have not been involved in any meetings or given any kind of information about where I stand. I now sit upstairs, alone most of the time, as the rest of my department has moved downstairs and I have still been told nothing at all, or given any reassurance, guidance or support. This is incredibly frustrating as I feel so overlooked and completely neglected. It just confirms my fears of not being important within the company and being “the intern”. I am so eager to make the most out of this placement, but I feel like I am not being given the opportunity because no one looks at me as a valid member of staff, or at least my supervisor doesn’t. Small comments, like in our meeting with my tutor - where she said I am not expected to make decisions - push me to my limit, as I do make decisions every day. No one told me what structure I should follow, I decided that. No one tells me exactly what to do on a day to day basis, I have to make decisions. Every time I send out documentation, or ticket flights, or analyse direct mailers or check invoices, I am making decisions. But still I have been marked as “limited attempts” at decision making. I feel like I was mis-sold this job and my role, as they made me believe I would be treated as a full time employee, given the same responsibilities and trust – which would include making decisions. But I have definitely not been given this. 

The feedback I received after my meeting from my supervisor also has been a point of serious annoyance and confusion. I feel like my supervisor doesn’t have any idea of how I am actually doing because I feel like she pays no attention to me whatsoever and so it annoys me that she thinks it’s okay to only give me “good” in almost all categories when I have been trying as hard as I can with the resources and training I have been given. I understand that I cannot expect to achieve excellence in all categories right off the bat, like knowledge or self-reliance, and am happy to work towards improving these in the coming months but some criteria I really couldn’t understand. Criteria like appearance - which is not something I can really improve over time, and I have simply been following the dress code I was given when I started, but still only given a ‘very good’ mark - just show me that she just simply wouldn’t given me excellent because she doesn’t want to. And the attendance and punctuality where Ana and I come to work at exactly the same time every single day and yet Ana gets excellent from her supervisor but I only get good. It makes no sense to me and due to my competitive nature and need to succeed, I hate that I seem to be getting downgraded for no apparent reason. 

They knew, when hiring me, I was coming in as a student and the contact between us meant that my supervisor had an obligation to actually supervise me and give me more guidance and support than an average employee. I wouldn’t mind not having this if I actually felt like I belonged and I feel like I was fully involved like everyone else. But I am not, and I am doing the best I can with the resources I’ve been given but I don’t feel like this is in any way helping me to develop my knowledge and skills.

On a more positive note, Ana and I attended the World Travel Market last week and it was quite the experience. At first everything was very unorganized as has been the trend for us since starting our placements. We arrived and had no one to meet/follow so wandered a little lost and helpless around all the stalls. It was really cool to see the effort all these businesses put into their stalls, and I was shocked at how much it looked like they would have had to spend to be part of the exhibits. But it was great to see, with lots of people dressed in traditional clothes, freebies along the way, small performances and key note type speeches scattered around ExCel London. We wandered around and explored all the “countries” until finally we got a message from one of the assistant product managers who met up with us. She was shocked at how little organisation had gone into our visit from the businesses side and said she was so sorry that she didn’t know, because she would have been more than happy to have us shadow her for the day. But was still a great experience - from about 13:00pm until 17:00pm we attended meetings with her, talking to suppliers and learning about the importance of this event – which I think really benefited me in terms of my knowledge of the industry and business. I liked seeing the exchange between us and the business we work with, and made me eager to grow and develop myself to a point where I could get more involved. 

Its just hard for me because I know that these kinds of opportunities only become available to us when we properly chase our superiors for them. But we shouldn't have to constantly be asking and almost begging for them to pay attention to us, support us, supervise us and involve us in things they should already be involving us in as their placement students. I desperately want to do well here, but if I am never given the opportunity to do this, I don't know how I will be able to find the positives in this placement.

Progress

There has been quite a bit of progress made over the last month. I am starting to settle (I know I say that every time) and this time I feel like the departments are beginning to accept me into their “groups”. I felt very ostracized at the start as I was the youngest, had just started, still a student, and I think most employees looked at me as a kind of temp, someone they didn’t need to make much of an effort with. With all the restructuring going on, I almost felt as if some of them resented me for just coming in and having this job security – for this year at least – while they were having to re-apply and interview for jobs they may have had for up to eight years. I think now however, as I start to meet more people around the office, and everyone realises I am a fully-fledged member of the team, the have begun to include me in conversations and I no longer feel like a hassle or nuisance anytime I have a question. 

Ana and I were taken out to lunch last Friday by the sales manager, in an attempt to welcome us into the business, a couple months late perhaps but the thought was nice.  It was a great opportunity for us to talk about our thoughts and concerns in a less formal environment. He was very understanding and happy to listen to our worries. I think it showed me for the first time that they are actually interested in having us as part of their team and interested in our development as students and within in the business. We talked about being interested in attending the world travel market, something we thought as tourism placement student would have been a definite. We also explained that we would love to be more involved in meetings and business strategy so we can get a more well-rounded understanding of the business practises as a whole – which would really benefit our reports. Jokingly bringing up the idea of us going on a FAM trip, had a positive reaction but at this point is still looking unlikely – worth a try, don’t get unless you ask right :P

When we got back from our lunch however we were left slightly disappointed as they told us that actually it was unlikely that we would be able to attend the WTM as they need us around the office. Disappointing as most other students in our industry have been allowed this opportunity. When we had our tutor meetings on Monday however, this was brought up and in the end we have been allowed to attend! 

There are a lot of positives in this entry, as things are definitely getting better. One of the biggest developments has definitely been the marketing responsibilities. I initially started off doing a lot of data entry and sending wedding brochures and such, which was fine at the start as I tried to find my feet, but I am so grateful to the marketing team for actually taking the initiative to include us in tasks now with more importance. I have recently been trained to work on banner campaigns, an online predictive advertising form, which allows me to be creative and will actually make a difference. I spent a long time working on banners advertising Tobago holidays, and loved the software and the chance for me to “play around” with different effects and techniques.  The idea that my creations might actually be used to advertise our product also gives me a sense of fulfilment and finally I feel as though I am contributing to the success of the business. I was also trained in Direct Mailing analysis recently which analyses the effect of our mailing campaigns. Three times a year Tropical Sky sends out brochures to everyone on the mailing list, as this has a cost involved it is important to be able to see what benefits come from this and how effective they are at encouraging more bookings and adding to the business profit. I have learnt so much more about the use of excel which I think will really come in handy in the future and also it allows me to get a much better idea of the power of marketing. 

I think due to my meeting with Kate, I have shown some form of initiative which has encouraged her to allow me to take on more responsibilities. Another positive for me has been the advancement of my opportunities within the docs department which Kate asked for me to be trained into. Yesterday I was taught how to complete QVR reports and was trained in the use of the online flight platform AMADEUS. I have really enjoyed this as I fell this was a missing piece of the puzzle. I understood all the documentation side of things but had no idea how flight or issuing tickets or anything worked. I feel as though this training has really helped to tie everything together and I can see now how each part fits into the overall final product and connects each department together. This has finally allowed me to feel as though I chose the right placement and become more comfortable in my role. QVR reports show the list of flights for booking which are on a ticketing deadline. When sales reps book flights they get put on hold and are held at a booking deadline on AMADEUS. If these booking go ahead then by running the QVR report we are able to see which flights need to be issued before they expire, to save the client from losing out on the flights and perhaps losing money – I like the importance that follows this role, as by completing it correctly you are in turn allowing clients to get the best deal and can really positively impact the business. After running the QVR reports I was shown how to issue the tickets. Due to the TSR platform being upgraded and connected to AMADEUS, issuing tickets is quite simple! All you need to do is make sure the PNRs match TSR and all the details are the same, then you can simply click the issue tickets button and it’s all done.  

I am much happier this week with all the progress I’ve made, all that’s left now is to increase my responsibilities within the accounts department and I’ll finally feel like everything I expected has been reached. There is of course always room for improvement and I am still a little worried about all the restructuring as I know this will end up changing a lot of what I am doing now; but if I do end up having more tasks, I will not be disappointed. I like to be challenged and love to learn new things to help my own personal growth. All I can hope for is that I will be included in the changing departments and trained properly on anything new I may need to do.

After my meeting with my tutor and supervisor I am also aiming to be more proactive and assertive in the coming months and if I ever need anything not be afraid to ask for it. I want to become more independent and confident so that I can develop my skills and be able to adjust to new directions. I’ll aim to increase my knowledge of the business itself – background information, strategies, tactics, and sales figures – as well as looking into tourism theories I missed out on being solely an IHM student so I can better understand how it all works. But all in all, I am feeling much more positive about my place in the company and hope that I can continue to improve and grow for the rest of my time here.

One day, One week, One month, One year

It's two month in and in a couple of weeks all the changes to the structure of the company will be put into play. I had a meeting with my supervisor today, in the hopes of figuring out where I actually fit in and what y role within the company is. I've been having quite a few concerns lately as I still feel, after two months, that I am not working at my full capacity. I want to feel involved and included and that just isn't happening right now. My colleagues still look at me as the young intern, but I don't want to be seen like that, I want to be seen as equal and as someone who can contribute to queries and help out with anything within the departments I am involved in.

For this reason I asked for a meeting with my supervisor. As nice as she is, I find it tough as she is very busy with accounts and doesn't seem to have a lot of time for me. I feel as a placement student I should have someone checking in and supervising me on a day to day basis. I believe they should be at least asking if things are okay, if I have settled, if I am getting a good amount of work and opportunities each week. And then perhaps having a meeting to check in once a month, to discuss my progress. This has not been a regular occurrence however and and I do at times feel a little forgotten and lost. When I finally got a reply to my message asking for a meeting, we finally decided on a time and met today. I was very stressed and worried as I didn't want to sound disrespectful or ungrateful but at the same time I wanted her to understand that I do not feel I am getting everything that I expected to be getting out of this placement. I wanted to explain that I am happy with the jobs I have been doing but feel I have time and am ready to start learning new things and developing my knowledge of the company and industry as a whole. I feel as though I am stuck in a bit of a rut, I do the same tasks everyday and don't see any chances for growth or advancement. I would love to be taught new things within each department and be given more responsibility. I think she thought that I was complaining about having to do the same tasks though and almost got a little defensive. I also explained how I was finding it difficult with all the changes happening around me and not being kept in the loop. I feel that everyone around me is being told where their new role will fit in and what will be expected of them and I have just been left out. The department that I am involved in are changing within the next couple of week and I still have not been told anything apart from the fact that my job is safe. Even in my meeting today she didn't explain anything to me, keeping it all very mysterious and I just don't understand why. All I want is to understand how my job will be changing so I can prepare for my new role. I also commented on how I felt I didn't receive much of an induction and have little guidance, but all the answers I received were not very helpful towards my peace of mind. As much as I feel its always beneficial to have any kind of meeting I feel it hasn't changed or influenced my standing much. At least she knows know that I am committed and truly interested in doing everything I can in this placement to get the most out of the experience and learn as much as I can from it!

On the plus side, I get quite a bit of chocolate or cake with people having so many birthdays so its not all bad :P And I did finally get myself a small set of drawers so I am almost at the level of everyone else, just need to get that phone working and Ill be a fully fledged member of the tropical sky team!

I've also joined the gym and started going after work which is helping my mood and making me feel more productive. I've spent a lot of weekends travelling and visiting friends around the UK as well so I am managing to keep my spirits high. This weekend I will be visiting Bournemouth to see the lovely Chloe. Last weekend I was in Sittingbourne visiting Amie and we had a lovely time doing touristy things in Canterbury.

Each week is another week towards the end goal, living for the weekends. 

Progress... Almost

Another couple of weeks have passed and I'm starting to get used to the routine of working life. Alarm at half seven, snooze three times, get up, shower, eat, make lunch, get dressed, go to work, come home, eat, sleep, repeat. Its not a glamorous life, but it is what needs to be done. Never have I ever been so grateful for the weekends.

Work has become much the same. The routine is starting to settle in and everyone (I hope at least) is getting used to having me around. I still feel as though I am not given the kind of responsibility I desire to have, so I can feel like a real contributing part of the company, but every day I am able to do a little more which can only be positive looking towards the future. Each month we are supposed to complete a short report analyzing our placement so I though I would give it a go now that I have some time to settle in;

The highlights of this month have probably been the small things, which help me to feel more a part of the company. When for example I have been included in conversations I normally would not have been, or when I was asked to take over the marketing responsibilities for a colleague who has gone away on holiday and when I was allowed to join a training session, to increase my knowledge of my department. All these things help me to be positive and believe in progress and growth for myself within my placement.

I have been taking a lot of notes since I started here to try and reduce the amount of questions I need to ask, which has been going well. In the past couple of months I have found that I am able to just get on with things without needing constant support from everyone else. There are still some things I don't know yet of course but I am working towards a point where people will come to me for queries instead of me just being "the help". I have although enhanced many skills of working in this industry. I understand the computer system very well now, and have improved my skills using excel and word and many online portals. I have learnt a lot about the use of social media in marketing and have improved my confidence and ability to throw myself into new situations.

In both the documentation and marketing departments, I feel as though I have a place, and what I do holds some kind of importance. In documentation I am trusted now to send docs and sort out all the important and needed files, while also been given the chance to chase and query certain things, without having my colleagues always double check I haven't done it wrong. And in marketing I have been asked to complete the DealRush for the company which gives me a sense of power and importance as I am solely responsible for it being done. I am also entrusted with important social entries onto the companies social media, which are seen by a large audience. But I still feel as though I'm in an in between place within accounts. Every Monday and Friday that I am with them, I am almost worried to go and ask what they need me to do, because sometimes they just say hmm, I don't really have anything for her. I haven't been taught or been trusted with anything more important within accounts, and merely check if invoices are paid or go through emails. I am unable to help with queries or actually deal with the invoices and I am sometimes upset by the fact that I almost feel as though I am hindering them by constantly needing them to find me jobs rather than helping them.

I am feeling very neutral about my placement at this point, which is an improvement from the beginning when I was very unhappy. Not only have I started to get used to the routine and actual work life but I have started to feel a little more settled in the town itself. Its a big step moving to a new place where you know absolutely no one. Its very different from going to uni, where everyone is in the same boat. Here I was truly alone. When I started and I was unhappy with the new town and the new job it was difficult to be positive and have motivation. However I feel I have grown even in the short two months since I've been here. I understand now it is necessary to make the most of the time I do have here, and as I start to be happier with my life in general, my placement is starting to seem much better and I can begin to understand why it is so important towards my future career in this industry. The main lesson that I've learnt is that I need to be more positive and believe in my own abilities, and I should never shy away from an opportunity to progress. So I am hoping in the next couple of months to be granted more responsibility by earning the trust and respect of my colleagues so I can truly make the most of this experience as a whole. I need to gain courage and make sure to push for more involvement with my supervisor so she can really see that I am committed and interested in doing the best that I can do for this company and to really make a difference, especially during this time of change within their structuring. 

In other news I have also begun becoming more independent in my 'private' life. I have started to explore the town on my own and have even experienced the "nightlife" East Grinstead has to offer. There is not a lot haha but it was still a good step in the right direction towards making the most of this year. I have probably done more travelling since moving here than I ever have done around England since living here the past couple of years. By moving away I have really realized how much I miss everyone and how much I need company in my life. I have traveled to Guildford a couple of times, been to Sittingbourne and plan on going to Bournemouth, London and Dover in the next couple of weekends. I have never made the most of my weekends, and am moving past the lazy uni lifestyle to a much more active and involved one, that free Santander railcard has never been more important than it is right now!

Until next time, or when I next get my act together enough to write another entry :P 

One Month Down, Eleven to Go

Its been exactly one month since I started my placement here in East Grinstead and it has definitely been an interesting start to the year.

For the first couple of weeks I spent the majority of the time in the documentation department because no one really told me where I should be going or what I should be doing. I learnt all about the documentation side of the company and feel I have a good grip on what I need to do here now, however after a month of doing the same thing I still feel like I am looked down on a little. I'm at the bottom of the food chain, just the little newbie who can't be given any responsibility and is always expected to make mistakes. I really just want to feel like I am contributing to the success of the company but up until now I don't think that I am.

The next couple of weeks I just decided that if I ever want to get to experience what my job was actually contracted as I need to just take initiative and do it myself because no one else was going to tell me to. So I created my own schedule, Mondays and Fridays in accounts, Tuesdays in marketing and Wednesdays and Thursdays in Docs. No one has told me off for it yet so I guess its acceptable. Everyday I learn a little something more, but its very difficult being in a position where no one seems to believe that you are actually here to partake in the same role as many of the current employees and not just do all the menial tasks that no one else can be bothered to do. The company is making quite a few structural changes lately in order to boost profitability. This may mean that my role within the company will change, I may be expected to deal with new areas and may even be positive in terms of new training will be necessary to multiple staff, which could help me to feel more connected and important within the company.

I am a person that needs direction and encouragement, and a work placement should provide that to its students, but I am yet to experience this. I need to reach a point in this job where I no longer need to ask for help every couple of minutes because I've not actually been trained properly, and where people may even come to me when they are stuck. I want to be able to understand all of the departments and their roles within this company, and how to go about day to day tasks in the most effective and efficient manor. I'd like to understand the importance of each department to the success and profitability of the company, and how I, as an individual, can add to this through my work ethic and commitment. I need to step out of my comfort zone and be confident enough to make a difference and impact to the company and the people working there, I want to be missed when the year is up and I have to leave, I want to be seen as an important and vital piece of the puzzle that makes up Tropical Sky. That's not too much to ask for right?

Wish me luck! 

Placement Week One

Its been a while since I last posted on here but I've decided to start it up again as I embark on my years placement away from university, in the hopes that it will aid my creative process when it comes to actually writing up the necessary report.

After a long period of stress with all my lovely course friends receiving placements early on, I finally received an offer at a travel agency Tropical Sky. I took a couple of days but when realizing it was my best option confirmed it for the coming year. Tropical Sky is an agency that does not have an office front, it deals with holiday bookings over the internet and phone. My title is General Assistant. In other words, office bitch haha. In all seriousness though, I am involved in three departments, Accounts, Ticketing and Documentation, and Marketing. I've been working there for a week now and it has been an interesting start. I arrived at the offices and there was not a lot of order to my first day. I expected a period of training in each department however arrived to a first day, and week, of no structure. Upon arrival I walked upstairs and stood there awkwardly for a couple of minutes, and when I realized no one was reacting to my presence shyly walked over and told someone it was my first day.
I was then asked to sit and wait for the supervising manager to arrive. Twenty minutes later she arrived and seemed very flustered, as if there was just not time to deal with me. I was told to sit and watch someone in Accounts and try to learn some of the processes. Apart from the sheer disorganization, everyone was very friendly and understanding when I asked new questions every ten seconds and I learnt (almost) how to pay invoices. Day two was much the same, except I moved into documentation and learnt how to send tickets and vouchers to the clients. I stayed in this department for the rest of the week and am feeling slightly more confident in my abilities here. I've been told that as things calm down I will get into more of an organised schedule, spending two days in Accounts, two days in Docs and one day in Marketing each week. For now though, I just need to learn the many MANY processes involved in each, so I can eventually just get on with things on my own.
I am happy I chose this placement though as I'm learning about a very different side of the tourism industry that I have yet to be exposed to. I've experienced F&B, front office and even housekeeping, so by the end of this hopefully I will have a better idea of what I want to actually do with my life after uni. And the people are all so friendly, I feel more and more comfortable every day, making less difficult to be far away from everyone I know.

My placement is based in a town called East Grinstead, its about an hour and a half south of London. It definitely has the small British town feel and will definitely take some getting used to. One thing I am loving though is my cute little room and house. I've moved in with a lovely girl here as a flat share, which is only about a five minutes walk from work. I finished unpacking and decorating and love my new big double bed, obviously decorated with all my little cuddly toys, still a kid at heart, and walls covered with pictures of the past. The town I'm still undecided about, give me some time to explore and I'll keep you posted!  

Bye for now! x

Uni Shenanigans

It's been a long time since my last post but things have been so busy, such is the life of a student. Just kidding, all I have is time.

Since being at uni I have discovered many things about myself. Firstly everywhere I go I will receive a new name, and am now used to everyday use of Marlene. Thanks guys? Secondly I will ALWAYS have the piss taken out of me, because supposedly I am a biter. Chomp Chomp. People like that apparently? Lastly, I have discovered I cannot be alone for an extended period of time. I am in constant need of company, and find myself getting incredibly restless when sitting in my room alone for more than five minutes.

Its been an enlightening time! I've been here just over two months now and it has all been incredible so far. The people I have met are all the most amazing people and I find it so difficult to think about not seeing any of them for over three weeks during Christmas! When you go from constant, 24/7 contact, to nothing, how do you deal with that? I love them all so much, but I am definitely ready to go home. It's hard being surrounded by English people who can all just jump on a train or drive home for the weekend. Makes being away from home much more difficult and many a times have I felt an uncontrollable need to hug my mummy and daddy, and jump on my little sister. I miss them so much! At least I have my older sister here to look after me whenever I need her, only 30 minutes train ride away :D

These past weeks have been filled with movie nights, essay writing, presentations and parties. Everything you could expect of university I suppose. Only two weeks now until the semester is over though, where has the time gone? And to think, only two months ago I was so afraid of what awaited me. There was no need to be afraid. Its everything I could have ever wanted.