No turning back now, here we go, first of many. I’d like to start by apologising in advance as this might be the biggest load of rubbish you’ll ever read in your life but it’s my first blog and if I’m being honest I don’t really know what I’m doing or where this is going, so go easy on me.
So, let’s begin. Hi my names Rachel Magee and I’m currently studying Communications Management and Public relations. Along with my degree I also work part time in the secondary school which I used to attend.
Let’s turn the clock back to September 2018, I just started back into my final year of university, I thought right head down get the degree and get out. My plans took a quick change when a placement I applied to a month previous got back to me offering me a job. I was ecstatic, but me being me I left it to the very last minute to start applying for placements so the idea that id actually get one was never really a thought, so I jumped at the first opportunity, silly Rachel.
As you can probably tell from the end of the lat paragraph my placement year went down like a lead balloon. I lasted two months. Don’t get me wrong there was no issue with the company it just wasn’t quite what I expected, and to be 100% honest I’m the only one to blame. I was so excited that a company had actually offered me a job, you can only imagine how gutted I was when two months in I had to call it quits, I felt like an absolute failure. From here I found myself taking a year out of university and unemployed. Not a great start to the year. Back to square one, the job-hunt began. I decided in the off chance to ring my old principal to see if there were any job availabilities within the school. From there everything fell perfectly into place.
So, here we again new job take 2. I was offered a job as a learning support assistant in the first-year class and that suited me down to a tee, I was in my element. I have always loved children but never thought I’d be back in my old school working with them. Seeing all the familiar faces from when I was at school and not being able to shake the habit of calling the teachers miss or sir has gotten me a brave bit of slagging. I can honestly say, in my 21 years of life I’ve never had a job that I actually wanted to get out of bed for, until now.
It’s just over 5 years ago since I was a pupil here myself, and now there were people calling me ‘miss’! sorry what? Talk about roles reversed. Being able to see how things work when the tables are turned from the viewpoint of a member of staff is shocking. This was a real eye opener for me, the amount of time and effort the teachers invest into each pupil. Even though they may not appreciate it at the time.; speaking from experience here.
To be brutally honest this year had its ups and downs but more so a blessing in disguise. My year working in the school has pushed me in a career path that was not my initial intention,. My time here has yet again reshaped me in the best way possible. So, to finish I’d like to give a big shout out to my once principal and now boss for answering the phone and giving me the opportunity.
Rachel Magee is a final year BSc in Communication Management & Public Relations student at Ulster University. She can be found at: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelmagee98 and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-magee-52328016b/