My name is Lola Allen and I am a sixth form student who is studying Business, Geography and Economics for A level. I have always had an interest in working within a business and was excited to gain first-hand experience of how one operates. Throughout the week, I developed new skills, gained valuable insight into both the technical and creative sides of the company, and strengthened my understanding of how different departments work together to achieve shared goals.

Marketing
Marketing has always been an area of the business that I have had an interest in, so it was very beneficial and enjoyable to see the process in action. The increasing digitisation of the world means that marketing teams are having to adapt and place a real focus on social media marketing. Therefore, I was trained in using tools such as Canva to create social media content and visual branding materials; including mood boards and promotional assets. This taught me the specific skills needed for a career in marketing and how to create appealing advertisements for potential customers.

Additionally, to further aid my creation of marketing materials I also learnt how to complete detailed brand audience research. This meant thinking about specific demographic characteristics of my target audience which helped me to create adverts that were tailored to the potential customer base. This experience showed me that successful marketing is not only about producing attractive visuals but also about understanding consumer behaviour and creating campaigns that effectively meet the needs of potential customers.

IT
During the latter part of the week, I had the opportunity to spend time with the IT department, where I gained an insight into the technical processes that keep the company’s platform running. It was fascinating to see the work that takes place behind the scenes that creates the user experience that customers interact with every day.
Although I had very limited experience with computer programming beforehand, I was introduced to a range of software development concepts and different coding languages and I learnt how each is suited to different tasks. By getting this hands-on experience with writing some basic code, I now have a greater appreciation of the complexity involved in developing and maintaining digital platforms.
However, one of the most valuable lessons I took away from my time in this department was the importance of communication within a technical team. Effective collaboration helps to prevent misunderstandings, avoid duplicating work, and ensure projects are completed efficiently. Overall, this time broadened my understanding of an area of business that I had previously known very little about and showed me how businesses can use technology to improve both efficiency and the experience they provide for their users.

Personal growth & development
Looking back on my week at Simplified.ID, I have come away with far more than just an understanding of how the business operates. The experience helped me become more confident in a professional environment and encouraged me to ask questions, take on new challenges, and learn from experienced members of the team. It also showed me the importance of adaptability, as I was able to work on both creative marketing projects and technical tasks within the IT department. Seeing how different teams collaborated towards the same goal gave me a greater appreciation of how successful businesses operate. Overall, this placement has strengthened my interest in business and technology while giving me valuable skills and experiences that I can apply to both my studies and future career.