C21 have always invested time in new industry talent. In fact, some of our longest serving employees started out with us as apprentices. Nine months ago, we recruited Cecile as an apprentice within the Project Management team. Cecile had been struggling to find a placement. She approached C21 and completely won us over with her enthusiasm to learn more about the industry, and us as a company. Now, nine months later and on her 21st Birthday, Cecile leaves us to return to the last year of her studies. As we look back on her time here, we’re reminded just how much we gain from fresh talent, and how much we can give back through mentoring and nurturing.
Cecile has been a breath of fresh air, eager to learn, conscientious and definitely one of us!! Before she left, we asked her to write a little blog post about her time with us.
How do I even begin to put into words what C21 has meant to me…
After struggling for months on end to secure a placement, I began to understand the risks an agency considers when deciding whether to hire a placement student. With that in mind, I was close to calling it quits, until C21 showed me a beacon of hope. I was ecstatic with the opportunity but couldn’t help but wonder why this agency chose to take the risk with me. However, my questioning was quickly curbed upon meeting my new work family. I had heard horror stories of emotionless workplaces and office politics, C21 is NOT that. Never have I seen a group of people that gel so well, with genuine friendships and warm personalities that welcomed me as if I had always been there. No doubt in my mind, I hit the placement jackpot!
Since education has been the one constant in my life up to this point, I assumed my attitude and capacity for learning were set in stone, but C21 proved me wrong almost immediately. I’ve learnt more in the last nine months than I ever have before. Bringing me to the understanding that the people who take the time to teach and nurture your mind are the most crucial aspect in learning, which is precisely what my team has done for me. Now I can confidently declare that I can manage a project from conception to completion using critical thinking and my newly developed communication skills. However, my most valuable takeaway has been the opportunity to become a savvy Meta user, a platform I initially knew nothing about but now feel as if I could set up an ad campaign with my eyes closed. The highlight of this skill being that I was supported in gaining this knowledge for myself, which consequently made me an asset in that area. Giving me a sense of achievement and confidence I had never experienced before in the workplace, an experience I didn’t know would be possible coming in as a very junior member. For this I am eternally grateful, as with this being my first real taste of adulthood and a career, I know that what I have experienced will aid in shaping who I’ll become and how high I will strive to achieve.
With everything from joyful Christmas parties to invaluable events, networking opportunities, award shows and exquisite baby showers, C21 has shown me a glimpse of what this industry has in store for me in the future.
I stepped into C21 as a university student who thought going to the library at 10 am was mature, and I’m now stepping out as a fully-fledged adult with an abundance of knowledge under my belt all provided by my (wonderful) mind-fostering team.
Thank you C21 x
