Finding Myself in an Office

It’s a 9-5 work day. I always told myself that I would never succumb to an office job, where I envisioned nothing more than sipping lattes and daydreaming by the window. That I would manage to find something more riveting to satisfy my adventure seeking nature. After only 4 days on the job (during which I have had very little time for daydreaming or lattes), my ignorant perception of an ‘office job’ has been wiped clear.

PM Training, a social enterprise located in Stoke-on-Trent, provides apprenticeship and employment opportunities for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who would not otherwise have the resources to get ahead in life. What is a social enterprise? If I’m completely honest, I don’t know – at least not yet. In it’s most basic definition, a social enterprise is a business which operates with the goal of giving back to the community in some way. However, with only a small glimpse into the business operations, I can tell it is much more complex.

Since business isn’t particularly my area of expertise, I was slightly apprehensive. It was the goal and mission of the organization, pertaining to education, that originally drew my attention. I’ll be assisting the recruitment team in redesigning the plan to ensure the business continues to move forward and gain profits. The mindset here is very much community oriented and profits are invested entirely into providing free education and meaningful work opportunities. Step 1: I need to figure out how the education system actually works here because it is definitely not like Canada.

What spares me from the monotony of paperwork, is that I’m on the road for significant portions of the day. During my last year of high school, I sat through numerous university and college presentations bombarding me with information and trying to convince me that they were the best. Only a year later, I’ve somehow found myself on the other end of those presentations. Now I’m the one travelling around to schools doing the convincing. Or at least that is the idea.

I admit, maybe this isn’t the typical office job. They usually don’t involve travelling abroad or exploring a new city. But nonetheless, I’m excited to work on a project with PM Training and help make a difference in the lives of local youth. It’s going to be a good summer in the office.

#sarahveber #SSIMexchange