Case study: Ella

Ella tells us all about how her work placement gave her the inspiration to apply for our apprenticeship scheme and land a full-time job at Moat five years later.

When did you do your work experience placement and for how long?

I did my week-long work experience placement in July 2018. 5 years ago!

What department did you do your work experience placement with?

During my work experience I moved around departments, gaining insight into each one. I spent a day in the Communications team, a day and a half with the Neighbourhoods team, a day with the Development team and half days with the Anti-Social Behaviour team, Central Services, and the Customer Service centre.

Why did you choose to work in those departments?

I wanted to learn as much as possible from my time at Moat, so the People Services team offered the opportunity to work across multiple departments. Which was brilliant for me and gave me the chance to gain widespread knowledge about the business.

Tell us a bit about your placement, what you got up to whilst you were here and what you learnt.

Whilst spending the day with the Communications team, I designed and made my own board about an employee forum group which allowed me to explore my creative side. When with the Neighbourhoods team, I went on out estate inspections and got a feel for the homes and communities Moat work in. I learnt what a FOG was whilst working with the Development team (flat over garage) and I was also shown different developments in progress. So it was a great opportunity to learn lots!

Tell us about your journey from work experience to working full time at Moat.

After my week at Moat, I finished my exams in school, went to college, and got a part time job. I then applied for an apprenticeship at Moat. I passed my level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship after working in Central Services for 18 months. I then became a permanent member of the Central Services team before applying for a secondment in Property Services. I have worked in the Planned Investment Delivery team for just over a month now.

What advice would you give to someone considering a work experience placement at Moat?

Just enjoy it! Try and take in as much as possible, Moat has so many different areas to learn and opportunities to gain experience.