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From my first day at Gather where I waited around the corner for 15 minutes because I was too scared to go in early. To 6 months later where I now manage my own clients and shoots - my last 6 months have been busy and exciting, and I have learnt so much.
Despite arriving way too early and waiting outside, my first day at Gather was a success. I already had an idea of what to expect as I’d already met the team thanks to my trial day, but as I entered the office I had 6 faces smiling back at me, including Alice whose first day it was too. The first few weeks consisted of training, learning how things work and how Gather runs, I was in awe of all of the systems and processes; the behind-the-scenes systems fascinated me.
Throughout this time I really felt at ease, the entire team was always there to support me, no matter how silly the question seemed or how many times I got stuck on the wrong page on Premiere Pro! I also had regular 1-2-1 meetings with each of my managers and Gather’s MD Sam, so we could discuss how things were going, what I was enjoying and what support I might need over the coming weeks. Even now I can schedule a training session or 1-2-1 with any member of the team if I feel like I need any help.
During this time I also learnt about the company’s flexible working policy and how it could benefit me as I became more comfortable and trusted in my role. My first few days working from home were due to a heatwave, but after a few weeks, I was able to work from home when I needed. Now, 6 months later I fully utilise this policy and it allows me to have a great work-life balance; I started early yesterday so I’d be done by 4pm and I’m about to head out for a lunchtime nail appointment! If I’ve got an appointment, it’s no problem, my managers trust that I’ll make my time up.
After more training and experience 12 weeks had suddenly flown past and I passed probation! As a permanent team member I was given two of my own clients to manage, this seemed like a daunting task at first, but I was fully supported by the team and even ran my own on-location shoot for one of them only a few weeks later! After a few more months I feel like I’ve surprised myself with what I’ve learnt and I’m excited to see how I can develop these clients' marketing with my 2023 plans.
Once I’d passed my probation it was clear that one of my key strengths was writing. Since then, I’ve been writing copy for a range of our client’s websites, including our own. I love that I’ve been given the opportunity to use my strengths on larger projects and I’ve really enjoyed the process and look forward to working on the next big writing task. Alongside this, I’ve had a large focus on video editing over the last few weeks; I started off creating short website and social media videos for my clients and I’ve recently started helping out with our largest client’s new podcast. From filming to the editing, I’ve loved working on this and helping to create an end result that everyone is happy with!
Now 6 months later, I can’t imagine not being at Gather, it feels like forever! Not only is Gather a workplace, thanks to our culture we all get along so well, it feels like family. Gather has been exactly what I was looking for and more and I can’t wait to see how I grow in my role and the business.
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