Receptionist/Administrative assistant Review

My work placement with the Mountbatten Institute was at a post-production company, The Now Corporation (TNC). I loved working in the centre of the city that never sleeps, learning everything I possibly could about the industry. My year in New York was the best of my life – I wouldn’t have changed a moment!

TNC was a small company, with only six employees including myself – 4 Partners/Editors and an Editors Assistant - this meant working in such a small team I felt incredibly valued and was instantly given responsibilities that allowed me to progress personally and professionally.

Being in such a small company I think meant I had a lot of support from my supervisor. Leaving everything you know at home for a whole year is a pretty big change and can be quite hard at times, both personally and professionally. A year is a long time where you can have ups and downs but I found the support from Mountbatten and TNC so valuable. It made my year that much more successful.

The industry in which I was working, media and advertising meant my day to day life was incredibly busy. My role was to oversee the running of the office on a daily basis, help important clients etc. It meant I was very busy every day; there was always something to do, errands to run and clients to help.

As I’ve said, TNC was a small company which meant I had a lot more responsibility than I probably would have had in a larger company. My responsibility ranged from opening the office and setting up for the day to dealing with high profile clients, even looking after some of the financial side - I was given this responsibility from day one.

During my time in New York, the recession hit, which meant when we came back to our home countries the prospect of getting a job wasn’t brilliant. However the skills and experience I had from working abroad allowed me to get a number of interviews and a good job within a short amount of time. Employers were impressed with my ambition and want to go to a different country and work environment on my own for a whole year. The skills I learnt there meant I felt I could achieve anything.

The atmosphere in my office was incredibly friendly and busy. There was a good relationship between everyone, including the clients who came into the office. Everyone in the office felt approachable and happy to help out if I ever had a question.

Everything about the work placement and internship I felt was very well organized. From the interview to the housing etc. Although it all moved incredibly quickly from having the phone interview to being in New York, I always felt I knew what I was meant to be doing, as there were clear instructions, not just on the practical things but also on what to expect in the work place.

At the start of my work placement the previous intern was on hand for a couple of days when we overlapped. She was able to give me plenty of training and advice on the day to day running of the company. Afterwards my line manager always gave me good advice and was happy to help with my development throughout the year. I always knew I could go to her for advice if I needed help with anything.

Unfortunately there was not any prospect for future employment within TNC. As much as I loved it, got on with everyone and was told they would have kept me on if they could, it was only possible to do a years internship.

There were a couple of events throughout the year within my company, however the main socializing I did was with my fellow Mountbattens. We all were able to form great relationships and many memoires, after all we were in the city that never sleeps!

Living in New York is understandably quite high, however during the year we were paid every two weeks by Mountbatten, plus our housing was paid for. Although we did have to pay for our bills. (You do also start to learn how to budget & the little tricks you can pick up to make the most of your year.)

It’s New York, Manhattan! It’s the city that never sleeps – the nightlife is amazing!

Mountbatten put on a number of events throughout the year, however we did organize our own activities and trips, for example going to Boston, Texas etc – you learn how to organize and maximize your time to get the most out of your year.