I joined Grain in January 2022 through Kickstart, a UK government scheme that provides funding to employers to create jobs for young people on Universal Credit. I’d been unemployed and on Universal Credit since mid 2020.
Working for Grain has been eye-opening as it’s the first non-retail position I’ve had. Adapting to office work was difficult at first, but my time here has really helped me understand the kind of work that happens when you’re not working at a till all day or stocking shelves. There are a lot more meetings for a start. It’s also introduced me to the different kinds of software needed to keep a business like Grain running smoothly. My ability to work with platforms like Redbooth for project management and FreeAgent for time tracking will be useful in my future roles.
My duties at Grain covered many different areas, from tasks focused on the running of the business, to data presentation, to experience operating social media accounts. It gave me a varied and interesting experience and I was never bored, even when stuck for ideas on a blog post. Learning how to write effectively and engagingly for a business was a skill that took me a while to master, but one that’s useful to have. One of the most interesting tasks I got to do was coming up with an interesting way to present information about a promotional headwear company.
My time working with Grain also introduced me to the sustainability sector. Living under increasing climate change can be stressful and tends to induce a fatalistic outlook. Experience in a company trying to make a change has helped me see that there are many people out there working towards a more sustainable future.
I’m sad to be leaving Grain, but I’ve met some fantastic people and had a great time over the last six months. I’m looking forward to where I’ll go next.
Photo, left to right: Lizzy Doyle, Izzy Bull, Madelyn Postman.