Preparing for the next step
By Nicole Bennett | Posted: Thursday July 7, 2022
On Wednesday, Year 12 Digital Technologies students travelled down to visit a successful marketing and digital transformation agency, Firebrand.
We were hosted by Managing Director, Bex Twemlow and Jay Phillips who were super accommodating and took an hour out of their busy schedule to take us on a tour of their business, sharing their experiences of their trajectory into the tech sector.
Quite often, students find it hard to see how the skills they are learning in class translate into careers once they leave school and it was exciting for the students to connect their learning to the real world. Students have just finished designing and coding websites, and it was inspiring to learn about Firebrand as a business and how these skills can continue to be developed. Bex explained how they support and grow their staff in a fun team environment to help grow not only local businesses but global brands. Her enthusiasm was contagious and I know this was a valuable experience for our students which was made possible by the flexibility of the Wānanga days.
Jay Phillips is the YES Programme Leader who also gave some great advice about the next steps to gaining employment. "Youth Employment Success" is an online platform that is passionate about giving people aged 16 - 24 a chance to connect with local businesses and to see if their industry is the right fit for them. This community based initiative connects with our youth and gives them a chance to spend a day at their business, have an informal coffee, or even apply for an internship. There is something for everyone, and I would highly recommend you look at their website and take advantage of these opportunities. At some point, you are all going to move onto your next pathway. Are you prepared?
https://youthemployer.nz/about-yes/
https://youthemployer.nz/opportunities/
My advice to all of our students is to get onto LinkedIn and create an online / paper copy of your CV. This is your first step in being ready to apply for your first job. Being mindful of what you are posting on your social media accounts. Your future employers will definitely be looking to see what your digital profile says about you! My rule of thumb is: if I would not want my boss to see it - don’t post it.
