Week 3- sunshine, social media and self-confidence

As I came into the third week of my placement I felt a lot more settled after the emotional turmoil of the previous few days. The sun really put on a show this week which did wonders for lifting the spirits and allowed me to get out and about a bit more - exploring the river, the medicinal plants trail and one of the many gorgeous waterfalls in the area. It also meant I was able to enjoy the luxury of clean, dry laundry! 

 

Living in close proximity to such beautiful surroundings has been incredible. Not to sound like I'm getting on my soapbox- I am- but it hits home how important it is so protect these habitats. We need to do so much more if we're going to get anywhere close to slowing down the climate crisis. As a large company I think that Octopus has a responsibility to set a much better example with their environmental practices- a lot of which is already being addressed by the new working group, and I'm looking forward to seeing these put into practice when I get back.

Work wise I got stuck into developing Iracambi's corporate offering. We developed plans for a new membership scheme to try and encourage companies to make regular donations for at least 12 months. In return we'll work with them, providing logos and marketing collateral, advice on setting up fundraising events, and regular newsletters and social media posts to showcase the impact their support has. With the increasing focus on firm's ESG policies (particularly in relation to attracting new employees) - I'm really hoping this will grow into a valuable revenue stream for them. This was a big project in itself, as it meant the whole corporate section of the website needed a total overhaul. I'm so pleased with how it's turned out, and can't wait to see the new website once it's launched!

I also sat down with one of the volunteers to have a brainstorming session on their social media strategy, and we came up with loads of great content ideas that I'm looking forward to putting into practice. This also involved developing a proper calendar and a process for posting their social media content, which I'll be presenting to the team next week. 

Working on this wide variety of projects has been so rewarding and has really done wonders for my self confidence. It's helped me to see that I do have ideas worth listening to and that my knowledge goes beyond my normal day to day role. In a business with a lot of strong personalities, I must admit I do find it really difficult to feel confident in putting my thoughts forward, or to feel like I am qualified to step out of the Events space. Being at Iracambi and experiencing the level of trust and enthusiasm for my work (even when I've felt like I don't have a clue what I'm doing!) - has been totally joyful.

So for anyone thinking about applying for TIE next year, my only advice is DO IT! You get so much more than you put in and it will help you in ways you can't imagine.