15-year-old Maia recently joined the Advanced team for an exciting three-day work experience placement as part of her GCSE studies. With a keen interest in graphic design and an eye on a creative career, Maia took the opportunity to explore how she could apply her skills to a career in manufacturing.
Curious to see how she got on? Read on to find out!
Monday
I started my placement meeting with Mollie, a member of the HR team. She gave me a full introduction to Advanced and showed me around the Newcastle upon Tyne head office site. I was nervous but in typical Geordie fashion, everyone was really friendly and soon put me at ease!
After a quick health and safety induction, I headed into the factory to see where Advanced’s panels are brought to life. It was much bigger and busier than I’d imagined, and I was surprised to see how many people are involved in creating each panel from start to finish.
Tuesday
On day two it was back to the factory – this time to meet the AdSpecials team, the experts behind Advanced’s bespoke panels. It was a great opportunity to dive into the intricate process of how these custom panels are built and to truly appreciate the skill and effort that goes into every stage of the design and build process.
One of the highlights of the day was rolling up my sleeves and assembling some PCBs myself! It was a hands-on way to learn how they come together and experience what it’s like to work on the production line.
Wednesday
I spent my final day with the Marketing Team – something I’d been especially looking forward to, as it closely aligns with my ambitions in graphic design. I had the chance to sit down with each member of the team and learn about the wide range of activities they’re involved in, from campaign planning, advertising and PR, to content creation, product launches and internal comms. I was surprised by just how many different areas marketing covers, and I really enjoyed discovering the variety of roles that bring it all together.
My time at Advanced has been both fun and eye-opening. It was great to see the different areas of the business in action and get a taste of some of the careers available. Everyone was so welcoming that I quickly felt at home and if I had the chance to do it again, I absolutely would.
Life at Advanced
Interested in joining the Advanced team? Discover life at Advanced and see our available roles.