Name: Inderpal Lolay

Describe yourself in five words? Innovative, Modest, Inquisitive, Sociable and diligent.

Where and what did you study? I attended Newham Sixth Form College and studied BTEC Business Level 3 Extended Diploma.

Why did you apply for work experience with ELBA? It was an opportunity for me to be proactive during the summer holidays and do something different. Aspiring to work in project management, I knew that working within the project management office at ELBA would be very purposeful and insightful. ELBA is a non-for-profit organisation and the projects they undertake are extremely beneficial to the schools and communities across east London. Hence, working at ELBA was also a chance for me to give back to the community

What does your placement involve? It involves a range of things actually. Day-to-day responsibilities would be; shadowing internal and external meetings and predominantly admin work so – creating new databases, maintaining current data bases and designing new documents and templates.

Have there been any highlights during your placement? Everyday has been particularly enjoyable. However, an experience that stands out is the when I was able to attend and the mentoring works meeting in CMS where I got to network with business professionals.

What skills have you gained from your work experience placement at ELBA? I’ve gained general admin skills, learning how to extensively use google drive, for communication and organisation purposes. In addition, it has strengthened my team-working and networking skills.

Would you recommend work experience to other students beginning their careers? Definitely! I strongly advise work experience to other students as it can help you explore the working life and day-to-day roles and responsible of a particular job role or industry. There will always be some time you can spare a side for it e.g. Academic term breaks or even on weekends. Moreover, gaining a work experience placement in your chosen field of interest will provide you with a competitive edge and show employers and university how keen and committed you are.

What’s next? I plan to kick-start my long-term career in project management, through an apprenticeship scheme, this academic year. I am thrilled to get hands-on and study towards a professional qualification.

How has your time at ELBA been? I have enjoyed it very much. The whole team were friendly and helped me settle down and feel welcomed. Throughout my time, I had all the support I needed and always had exposure to different tasks and admin work. In hindsight, it could not have got better and undeniably was an experience which I can take away with me.