This is Fever’s work experience memories

We’re proud to welcome secondary school students into the studio each year to try their hand at design and development. We always enjoy seeing the work they produce, from Chantel’s music festival trailer, to Indra’s gymnastic school rebrand.

The arrival of a new student always gets us thinking about our own work experiences. Many of us never expected to work at a digital agency. In fact, at age 15 I’m not certain I even knew what a design and development agency was. I certainly had no idea about the world of website hosting.

This prompted a conversation in the studio where we reflected on our own work experience placements and how they differ from our current careers.

Hannah, Marketing and Events Coordinator

I was really interested in textiles at school, so I found a placement at (what I thought was) a tailoring company. I found out on my first day that the actual tailoring work was outsourced abroad except for prom dress alterations, so I spent my week in a basement sewing beads onto prom dresses. It was a far cry from the bright and busy Fever studio, but I did enjoy chatting with the owner about her experiences and delivering wedding dresses to local bridal shops. Overall, it taught me that I liked the idea of sewing a lot more than actually doing it, and that some workplaces have dreadful taste in teabags.

Jordi, WordPress Developer

I worked at a local mechanics. I helped the team change tyres, do MOTs and went out to help with roadside repairs and tyre changes. I’ll leave it to your imagination, but the culture was VERY different to Fever, and I returned to school with an expanded vocabulary… Whilst I still problem-solve and diagnose issues as a developer, not being covered in grease while I’m doing it is a big bonus!

Clare, Business Development Manager

My placement was in the housing department of Chelmsford Borough Council. It was a people-facing role where I had to meet and greet visitors to the department, show people to meeting rooms and help them fill out forms. It also required me to answer the phone and do lots of filing. I suppose it was quite similar to what I do now, representing the client and showcasing them in their best light. In complete contrast to Fever, I remember the role was completely manual, there wasn’t a computer or mobile phone in sight!

Joey, Junior WordPress Developer

I spent the week as a general assistant at a food shop. I helped out in all areas including produce and the bakery and helped customers throughout the store. It couldn’t be further from my job now, really, but it was a good work experience and definitely helped prepare me for going out and working in the real world and experience what working with the public is really like. They played 24/7 smooth jazz radio every day, which was the highlight of my work experience…

Shaped by our experiences

Reflecting on our diverse range of experiences, it’s clear that we’ve all come a long way from our first forays into the world of work. From getting our hands dirty in a garage to navigating the world of local government, our journeys to joining a digital agency have certainly been varied. Despite the differences, it’s clear that the skills we’ve picked up along the way have shaped us and our careers. As we welcome the next generation into our studio, we’re reminded of the importance of embracing new opportunities and learning lessons in unexpected places.

Here’s to the past, present and future of our careers, may they continue to be filled with learning, laughs and enriching experiences.