Hello again, Emilie here! This week is the 7th week at Pamoja for us interns and it has gone so quickly! However, at the same time, it feels like I have worked here for much longer! The list of things I have done and learned is already endless. It has been great getting to know everyone in the office through work, and activities outside of the office.
On Monday last week, a couple of us went to Oxford Aqua Park for the Total Wipe Out. Although only the most daring among the Pamoja employees went, it was great fun.
The weather was pretty miserable, but we enjoyed ourselves and laughed until our cheeks ached. There were some epic fails that we are still laughing about. I feel it is important to get to know your colleagues well and on a more personal level. It makes working together and sharing your thoughts easier. It also makes the day in the office more fun. You will have things to talk about rather than standing through an awkward silence in the kitchen while you wait for the kettle to boil.
Last week I spent the week working in HR. I still had to fulfil my School Services duties such as reply to emails from customers, enrol transfer students, send out login details to new Site-based Coordinators and so on. However, once I had done this I got involved in the daily activities of HR. I started off organising contracts and employee information. This gave me a very good insight on how contracts are set up, how contracts differ per employee and what the vital elements that need to be included in a contract are. Understanding how contracts work is a necessity in HR and therefore this gave me a great insight into what HR is all about. Another vital element of HR is the company policies. Policies change very frequently due to changes in the company and new government laws. I have been reviewing the policies and been finding out which new policies need to be made and what required elements the policies need to contain. I have had meetings with the HR team and we laid down the main requirements of our first new policy.
Yesterday a couple of us new Pamoja employees had a customer service training morning. Pamoja goes to great lengths to ensure the best possible customer experience. This goes from ensuring that the right expectations are set before customers interact with us to providing quick, friendly and effective support throughout the journey of being involved with our courses. Not only did the training teach us the importance and the etiquette of good customer service, it also sparked conversation on how we can best inform our customers of what is expected of them and what they can expect from us.
As you can read, I have been involved in many different things for the past two weeks. It has been quite hectic and I have learned a lot. Knowing that my 7th week is coming to an end I realise that my year at Pamoja is going to fly by, but I know that I am going to get so much out of this experience.
Emilie – Pamoja Intern Programme, BA International Business Management Undergraduate at Oxford Brookes University
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