Learning Log
My name is Tessa and I have just spent a month with TrainingMatchmaker in Belfast as an Erasmus Trainee. At the start of my traineeship I set out to achieve an ambitious number of learning goals – you can find my training plan here. One month on and this is what I learnt:Professional skills:
- I completed the WorldHost Principles of Customer Service training course – this is a training programme which has been delivered to over one million individuals worldwide. The course was delivered by Licensed WorldHost Trainer – Chartered Marketer Christine Watson and it was about 8 hours long. My key takeaway was the importance of non-verbal elements to achieve effective communication (55% of communication is attributed to non-verbal elements).
- I learned how to edit videos using iMovie on a free one-hour course in the Apple Store in Victoria Square, Belfast. This course is promoted as a free face to face learning opportunity on Trainingmatchmaker.com. During my traineeship with TrainingMatchmaker I was able to practice my newfound skills, because I had the opportunity to edit a video for the WorldHost course.
- Taking pictures for Instagram posts
- Researching hashtags on hashtagify.me
- Deciding on and writing captions
- Creating Instagram Stories with interesting content for our audiences
- Searching and arranging the right props for pictures
- I created short videos with the free Quik App by GoPro
- I helped to organise an event. The events throughout my time with TrainingMatchmaker included the Blogging Inspiration Session, a 6 week course for bloggers or people who are interested in blogging, as well a WorldHost training course and I also got the chance to complete that course. In the weeks ahead of these events I created a content calendar and content for social media.
- I wrote and updated blogs on WordPress for the watsonsmarketing.com and trainingmatchmaker.com
- I created and updated events on Eventbrite
- I worked with Canva to create and design posters and advertisements for Social Media
- I got to teach Christine some of my skills in Google Ads
Personal skills:
Throughout my time in Belfast I got to experience a work environment, which was of course new to me. The Irish work culture is much more relaxed and less strict than the one in Germany. This month definitely taught me to not stress so much about problems, because this can often create even bigger obstacles. Christine has told me that “every problem is a solution waiting to happen” and that “Continual improvement is better than delayed perfection” – this is definitely something that I am going to take home.Highlights from my time in Belfast, Northern Ireland
I got to do a lot of exciting things and I was very surprised by all the cool things that Belfast had to offer:- I visited the Titanic Museum which is definitely a must do when you come to Belfast!
- I visited the Ulster Museum and Queen’s University as well as the Botanic Gardens and learned a lot more about the city there
- I did a pub crawl with my friends and visited some of the nicest pubs and bars ever – my favourite was House in Botanic, South Belfast
- A visit to the Belfast City Hall was also a really nice way to learn more about the city and to see some very impressive architecture
About Tessa
I am a marketing communications apprentice and I work in an online marketing agency in Hamburg that specialises in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEA (Search Engine Advertising). I am part of the SEA team, as well as the sales team. I have always been extremely interested in the whole marketing field and I am always open to any new experience so Erasmus was the perfect opportunity for me to step outside of my comfort zone and do something completely new.
