Introducing Matthew Snook

Matthew Snook joined Human Resources for his work experience placement, as part of his degree at Southampton Solent University. Matthew was studying journalism and wanted a work placement in the field of journalism / marketing / advertising.

Matthew Reports:

“As part of my degree, I was asked to partake in work experience. I decided to do this in my hometown of Swindon. I e-mailed various employers throughout the town regarding work placement schemes and what they could offer me. I also e-mailed Swindon Borough Council, but after receiving a lack of feedback from other employers I was doubtful I would hear back from them. However, within a few days I received an e-mail from the Council asking me what type of work experience I was looking for and when I wanted to do it.

My Thoughts on the Council

The Council was very efficient and friendly and the week following my e-mail I had an informal interview to discuss the type of placement I would like to be involved in. My previous preconceptions of the Council have all but gone since being on work experience within the organisation.

Many people I know, including myself, saw the Council as the men who pick up litter in town and collect household waste. Although this is true, there is so much more that the Council has to offer and that many people often don’t get the chance to see. It is the biggest employer in Swindon and spans almost every sector of local life. From leisure centres to town festivals and plumbing to architecture there are so many exciting and varied jobs that the Council carries out, many of which do offer work experience placements.

There is a large amount of planning by teams behind the scenes to ensure that the Council runs smoothly and that everyone works together as a team. Many people overlook that and just see the people running the leisure centres and cutting the grass, and automatically think that is the Council, but in reality there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes.

Tasks Completed

I had a work placement plan, which set out a framework for the tasks I was going to undertake which was a useful way of managing my time productively. During my time at the Council there was a very proactive approach to the tasks I was given.

Members of the team were keen on giving me a variety of different roles so I could get a real flavour of the work that the Council does. I was in the HR department and worked both in the office and went out to events, including the launch of a new staff appraisal framework. It was great that I was given different roles to do as it made my time at the Council interesting and varied. I also worked on several different departments and shadowed different people doing various types of work, which again broadened my opinions on the Council.

My Thoughts at the End of the Placement

From my time on work placement with the Council it has really opened my eyes into how it operates, as an organisation and how much passion and hard work goes into making Swindon a better place for us.

The people I met during my time at the Council were friendly and welcoming and made me feel at ease in an environment that was new and daunting to me. I learnt new skills and built on my knowledge I gained through my degree. You don’t have to have a degree to do work experience at the Council. Many people may be in college or at school, or generally just want work experience to help them decide what to do for a career and learn about how the Council operates.

After my time at Swindon Borough Council, I would definitely recommend it to friends who perhaps want an exciting and challenging job, but just want to try it out and see what goes on before they actually make a final career choice.”