Lucie Humphrey is going into upper sixth at Hurstpierpoint College, and is studying English, music and geography. She hopes to study English, possibly with publishing, at university. Lucie spent a day with Personnel Today and we asked her for her thoughts on work and work experience.
What I want/expect from work
I expect a healthy balance between work and my social life. For me, an unhealthy balance would involve work dominating my life and creeping into time away from the workplace, which ultimately leads to the feeling of being unable to escape. Ideally, I would prefer sociable working hours that do not require a drastic change to a regular sleeping pattern, as it has proved to be an inconvenience at times for my parents, both of whom are involved with shift work and getting up in the early hours of the morning.
The ability to work from home would not prove to be a major issue for me as I feel that it is possible to maintain a greater concentration within a working environment, although I feel that the opportunity to be able to do so would prove to be very helpful in the case of coordinating a young family as well as work.
In a job I look for a friendly working environment, and to be situated within short distance of other collegues, not only for the ability to be able to ask for help but also because I believe that great friendships may be made with the people one finds themselves among, due to connections from the sharing of similar interests.
A job that interests me is one with as little as possible monotony and involving various challenges - within reason - to maintain a good level of motivation.
I would like to think that I can bring enthusiasm and a sense of passion to work, and in return would be appreciative of receiving a positive attitude from other members within my working environment, as it is a major priority of mine to be involved in a job where I really enjoy what I do, with the added bonus of a salary at the end of the month!
Work Experience
A good working experience includes receiving a substantial amount of knowledge on what is involved in the job or area you are working in and getting a feel for the work that takes place there. It is ideal if you are able to receive experience of working on more than one aspect of the job as it gives you a more complete understanding of what is involved. Being made to feel comfortable in your working environment is crucial for an enjoyable work experience - this is made easy by friendly and helpful colleagues.
