The first month of my AAB People Placement

I am currently in my third year at Edinburgh Napier University studying Business Management with Human Resource Management. I went to university excited to develop my knowledge and specialise in HR, and of course with the hope of enjoying my course and time at university. I certainly feel I have experienced all of the above so far, and the opportunity to gain experience in a working environment whilst studying was also something I was very excited about.

At Napier, you are given the option to take part in a six-month placement during first year, and this is an opportunity I really wanted to seize. When researching businesses, a family member made me aware of AAB People, and I was initially drawn to the company’s culture and what they had to offer. I was also surprised and intrigued by the large variety of clients they work with and how quickly the team is growing.

During my first week at AAB People I had so many emotions. Coming into a new role with no ‘on the job’ experience and working mostly from home was really daunting. However, these worries eased straight away. My first week was filled with lots of Teams calls with the whole team at AAB People. I have never felt so wanted by complete strangers, it made me feel so at ease with starting my journey. Even on Teams calls, it felt like we were in the office together which I wasn’t expecting. Since restrictions have eased, I have been able to go into the office to work with some of the team, which helped with my learning journey.

The second week saw me starting to help with client work. Wow! It was time to really get stuck in. Starting off with some light client reference checks to then fast forward to the end of the week drafting my very first contract, how time flies when you are having fun.

In my third week, I was fully emerged into client work. I began with lots of recruitment tasks, which I found very fascinating. Through leading my own interviews, I felt my confidence increasing rapidly. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting lots of new people and being able to get involved in “small chat”. I felt myself becoming more independent.

Fast forward to my fourth week with AAB People, I don’t think I have ever had a quicker January! I was able to start taking initiative with certain tasks needing to be done and applications that needed to be reviewed.  Everyday has been something completely new, I haven’t once had the same work day. I find myself growing my knowledge day to day on all the clients and what they truly do. The daily team calls no longer seem daunting, I can now pick up on the conversations and apply myself where necessary.

I cannot wait to see where the next five months takes me. I feel so lucky and fortunate to have been given this opportunity, even when I had no HR work experience to date. Due to the team trusting me and welcoming me completely into the team, this placement is sure to bring me so much value, both for my studies and future career. Being able to assist everyone in the team when needed feels so rewarding, whilst getting exposure to lots of different clients. I always look forward to planning my day and helping as much as I can. I have learnt so much already and I am looking forward to growing and expanding my knowledge on HR even further.

By Robyn Whelan, HR Administrator (Intern)