Having spent 2 months working at The HR Booth, I can safely say that the bar has been set high for other companies on how to welcome new recruits. This applies particularly to myself who is new to the world of HR, walking into an unfamiliar setting. This was my first professional position, as marketing assistant, and any fears or worries about the working world have been put to rest – people work together at the HR Booth, not to the detriment of each other. While I’ve been primarily engaging In the marketing side of things, I’ve also been given the time to learn valuable HR and customer service skills from experienced colleagues in the team. Furthermore, I’ve been allowed to assist with the recruitment side of things during a busy transition period.
My Background
I graduated from Abertay University in May with a Law degree, however I had no intention of pursuing a career in law from around my second year. As a result, the idea became that I could use my degree would hopefully act as a bargaining chip to accompany my search for work! I went to the job centre in June, hoping to find work which would motivate me. Within a week, engaging with my work coach, the Marketing Assistant role on the Kickstart scheme popped up, with The HR Booth. I was excited by the prospect of working with the company straight away, so I set about trying to secure an interview as soon as possible. After my Microsoft Teams interview with Alistair, the managing director, I was sold. His positive outlook and character made me want to be a part of the up-and-coming team.
I’m keen to gain experience in various areas of work to gauge where my strengths lie, and Alistair and the team are there not only to get me up to speed on business tasks but also help me with my own development. With my experience in writing and legal research, I hope to be a capable team-member who can improve the quality and efficiency of the work at The HR Booth! The company cares about its people just as much as its ambitious business goals; both are on the same tangent.
My Role
The highlight of my time was connecting with the team, however in terms of my role, the blog writing was most suited to me. Supplied with various trending topics around HR, I would research key facts, figures and opinions on the issues, and put together 300–500-word blogs to help inform and direct people towards The HR Booth. I was able to put my own style into these blogs and it was extremely rewarding, while knowing it could provide a gateway to the genuinely selfless service available at this company. This motivated me to capture people’s attention and market the company in an area I feel is my strong suit: writing.
Remote Studying
Since March 2020 I have been studying remotely for University, through to May 2021, and then while at The HR Booth. We have a small office space in Kinross, with meeting rooms nearby and café area, which is ideal for in-person meet-ups with the team and catch-ups. Without a driving license, travelling is difficult for me. However, Alistair secured driving lessons paid for by the company, which is a testament to his commitment to improving my future work prospects in different locations. Hopefully I can put this to good use and expand my options!
My future
In September 2021 I was offered a job at Waterstones in Glasgow, working in a bookshop being one of my dreams since primary school. It was a chance to travel, meet like-minded people and work permanently away from home for the first time in what felt like an age. With restrictions easing, it was exactly what I needed at this time in my life and everyone in the team was understanding. I’ll be forever grateful for my time at The HR Booth and hope to cross paths again with everyone soon. I’ve learnt more than I could have hoped for in a short space of time and while sad it’s coming to an end, The HR Booth started my journey positively, amidst the most challenging time.
Find out more about out team on our website now.
