An easier question to ask would be, “what don’t I do?”! I assist the team across different and exciting projects, mostly to do with youth employability. It can look like:

• Filming and editing videos
• Building webpages
• Helping with events
• Interviewing young people
• Helping deliver workshops
• Presenting videos
• Admin tasks

It’s interesting, fun and varied – no two days are the same!

Something I love about my job is the variety. I come into work most days and most of the time can’t predict what I’m going to be getting up to – this keeps it exciting. I also love how despite being pretty new to the workforce, my ideas and contributions are all considered and listened to. I’m working with people a lot more qualified and experienced than me, but they understand that you can learn from anyone and as a young person, I value that so much.

I’ve learnt lots of different skills such as: computer skills, building websites, how to film and edit videos, design work and reporting.

I am quite a perfectionist and although this can be a strength, this is also a big learning block for me. Starting out I put such a high expectation on myself for everything I did to be perfect. I’ve since learnt that perfection is unattainable however, I can still try my best to produce a high quality of work. I also learned that it’s okay to ask for help and you don’t need to know everything straight away. Questions are good!

The desire to sleep in!

There were lots of little challenges that pushed me out of my comfort zone like getting used to answering phone calls on a regular basis (before I would only text people), sending and answering emails, etc. I remember on my first week of starting out here, I was already in front of the camera for a video! I was so nervous but with time and support from a great team I was able to overcome these challenges by doing them regularly and not backing away from them. Sometimes the only way to overcome a challenge is to charge forward with it.

Work can be similar to school, but in more ways than one it is very different. For example, on a school day if I woke up late and missed class, I would be only letting myself down as my choices only affect my study. Whereas at work you have a greater responsibility to your team and organisation, as they are relying on you to turn up. Going pretty much straight out from school into the workforce took some adapting and changing of habits, however having an understanding team made all the difference.

My advice is to have a life outside of your work. Explore interests, spend time with friends and whānau. Do things that inspire you to wake up in the morning. Having things to look forward to in both work and life (separate to each other) will help that boundary between the two to establish itself.

Don’t doubt yourself, you have something valuable to offer. Everyone has something that only they can bring to the table with their individual outlook, experiences, and skills – lean into yours and use that for your benefit. At first when I got offered my position I felt underqualified and almost declined the opportunity out of doubt in myself and my abilities. Be bold, take a leap of faith and do the hard thing anyway!

Something I wish I’d known was to get my drivers license as soon as I could – or at least sit for my learners. You’re only going to get busier as you get older, and I wish I’d made it a priority to get it. The independence to drive yourself around makes employment/education options so much more accessible. Many employers won’t hire people who don’t at least have their restricted either, so it just opens up your options.

At this point in time, I’m still navigating what I’d like to do. For the meantime I’m wanting to learn as much as I can: skills, experiences, knowledge, etc. As long as I am moving forward, taking up opportunities, and keeping open-minded, I’m happy to continue with this.