For the
duration of my life, I have been enthusiastic about organic and fair
trade produce. I trusted that fair trade was better for the suppliers
overseas but until recently, I struggled to comprehend how supporting
the fair trade industry can benefit others. For this reason, when it
came to choosing a work experience placement, I could think of
nowhere more educational to spend the two weeks than Greenways. I
hoped that during my two week placement Andrea and Ian could help
fill in the holes of my mediocre knowledge of organic and fair trade
products as well as help me to enhance my communicational skills with
customers and colleagues alike.
The
first day began with a health and safety talk followed by a
discussion of possible dangerous situations and how to deal with
them. I then observed a delivery coming in and helped to check the
quantities of the products as well as the condition they arrived in.
The highlight of my first day was learning how to use the till and
other shop utensils like my personal favourite, the pricing gun.
Throughout
my first week, I assisted various other shop related tasks such as
tidying and dusting shelves, washing up and checking the sell-by
dates of products. I was grateful to get a chance to be creative and
help assemble an eye catching window display showing a wide variety
of Greenway's many products. Perhaps because of my hard work, the
first week passed quickly. I was surprised that in just one week I
had learnt so much and even more surprised I had been able to develop
skills that I considered myself to already be good at.
The
second week began with Andrea and I looking round the shop for items
to go on a newspaper advert that we thought would best summarise the
range of Greenway's products. We then spent the afternoon working on
a Christmas display and downloading suitable images for the newspaper
advert off of the appropriate web pages. The next day I telephoned
the local newspapers and enquired about their advertising rates.
Learning to talk over the phone to people formally is a valuable
lesson that no doubt will be useful in the future. Just as I thought
I had become an expert on organic and fair trade goods, I learnt even
more about the values and beliefs of the companies the products come
from and also more about how the products sold are the least harmful
to the environment.
If
possible, the second week passed even faster than the first and
before I knew it, work experience was over. I couldn't help but feel
sad to leave Greenways, but comforted by the fact that I will still
return as a regular customer who knows more about the importance of
shops like Greenways. I was truly moved by the loyalty of regular
customers and their passion for environmentally friendly, organic and
fair trade produce. I give my thanks to Andrea and Ian who instantly
made me feel like a valued member of the team and who never ceased in
enthusiastically complimenting my efforts.
Olivia Tubby