My name is Heledd Jones and I am 17. I’m a full time business BTEC level 3 student and I study at Meirion Dwyfor College in Wales. For my work experience I was keen to venture out of Wales as more opportunity was available. SOLOS Consultants was my first option and I was lucky enough for them to agree. The most ideal aspect of this great experience was the fact that SOLOS Consultants linked in well with the course that I am currently studying as I had already completed a Recruitment and Selection unit.

I didn’t know what to expect before arriving at the offices on Monday morning but I was quickly blown away by the welcome of the staff at SOLOS. Everyone was so polite which made me feel comfortable right away. From the very beginning of my week I was mentored by a member of staff. I was initially introduced to the payroll function; this was something I wasn’t aware of before. I began to understand the importance of what payroll was to the hundreds of temporary workers and how many issues can occur if not done properly. I had not come across this yet on my course therefore it has benefited me in a way that if I do come to learn about it later on in my course, I will be one step ahead.

Another aspect of the business that I was introduced to was job boards. This involved learning about employment and filling vacancies. This section linked more into the Recruitment and Selection unit that I had studied on my course and I was able to understand the concept of it in more depth. I now understand why the job boards I was introduced to are so important to a business such as SOLOS Consultants. SOLOS are able to search for candidates’ CV’s online. I have learnt that this is a really efficient and effective method for the business to use.

It was useful for me to sit down and listen to the Recruitment Consultants in action one day in the week. Although I had knowledge of the recruitment process I had limited understanding of how it worked. I paid attention to how the Recruitment Consultants dealt with their clients and candidates and what was said during the phone call. My course back at college didn’t give me as much insight as to how the member of staff behind the phone dealt with the person on the other side, whether this be a client or candidate. Therefore this experience was very useful indeed.

This week at SOLOS Consultants has been the most amazing, beneficial and eye opening experience ever. I have gained so much knowledge and understanding of the business environment and how to operate professionally. I had very little commercial experience before coming to SOLOS on work experience and have thoroughly enjoyed my time learning through observing. My week at SOLOS will be one to remember and I’m so grateful to all the Directors for the opportunity.