1. My Placement Story as a Sales Administrator at The Spires Serviced Apartments
The encouragement to take time out of your studies to engage in an academically-accredited industrial placement
was definitely one of the drivers that led me to study at Robert Gordon University. Having now successfully
completed my six-month placement, I am exceptionally pleased to say it was the invaluable practical experience
that I hoped it would be; which I hope to convey here!
Job Vs Location
When I first started out in Stage 1, I had aspirations of a jet-setting
international placement. However, fate is a funny thing and what ultimately
happened was that I not only ended up working locally, but I also worked as a
Sales Administrator at a serviced apartments firm that was 15 minutes down
the road (it made the 8.30am start not so ghastly!). Therefore, if there is one
thing that I hope to emphasise, it is that you should consider the job, as well
as the location. While I may not have been somewhere exotic and exciting, I
thoroughly enjoyed my placement and that made-up for the lack of a change
of scenery. What appealed to me about my job as a Sales Administrator at
The Spires was that even from the interview, it was highlighted to me how I
was going to have full-responsibility and autonomy to decide on the social media strategy for the firm as well as a
crucial role in the assistance of sales campaigns. Although daunting, getting to rely on my initiative was an
immensely valuable aspect of my job which really helped to consolidate my confidence and to make me feel like I
have something special to offer future employers.
My Role and The Team
What I particularly enjoyed about my placement was the variety of tasks I
engaged in from assisting with the segmentation of clients, email marketing,
improving the firm’s online presence and search engine optimization (through
social media and blogging), updating corporate booker’s details and assisting
with the creation of web content. Not many people can say that they got paid
to be on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest! No two days were ever the same and
as I proved myself, I was rewarded with more responsibility. It was a very
exciting time to work at The Spires because they were expanding by opening a
brand new location in Edinburgh and they became a serviced apartment agent
as well as operator. Therefore, it was fascinating to be in such a dynamic
environment and to witness, learn from and promote these milestones in the
firm. Moreover, it was not just the job itself which I enjoyed but also the
people. Being a small team of 8 persons there was a lot of office camaraderie
and banter that made work a joy to go into and I could not have been made to
feel more welcomed.
The Future
Ultimately, I still work part-time at my placement on a variable hours contract and I
even added on 2 months to my placement by working full-time Front Desk cover. This is
indicative not just of my personal enjoyment on my placement but also of the overall
potential for long-term career options that can stem from the placement experience.
Serviced apartments were not an industry I had considered previously, but seeing how
fast-growing it is, particularly in the business travel world, has opened my eyes to its
potential as an employer. Wherever I end up, the transferable skills and capabilities I
developed across my placement will hopefully serve me well which is why I feel
placements are an invaluable opportunity and I am 100% an advocate for them.
If you want to learn more about my placement experience, I did actually blog about it while working at The Spires
from start to finish: https://thespiressuites.wordpress.com/
Alex Ross – International Tourism Management Student