Learning log blog

My learning journey with Training Matchmaker.com with  Watson & Co Chartered marketing Trainer: Christine Watson.

What I, an Austrian administrative assistant trainee learned during my 4 weeks working and living in Belfast, UK via the Erasmus plus programme.

Hello! My name is Nils Schwab, and I’m an 18 year old from Austria. My usual job is working at the Austrian Patent Office and, I have just completed a five-week traineeship in Belfast working at TrainingMatchmaker.com with Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing Trainer, Chartered Marketer, Christine Watson. This traineeship offered me a fantastic chance to improve my skills in the English language, both written and spoken, marketing, design, and customer service.    The past few weeks have been jam packed with lots of learning:

• Canva Courses

I recently completed a Canva Course Presented by Trainer: Christine Watson from Watson & Co Chartered Marketing. My key takeaways from the content of each one hour presentation included: 

• Presentations: I learned how to design engaging and visually appealing presentations and I applied this learning in my work.

• Social Media Posts: This point focused on making your own Social Media Posts with different templates and tools so that your content stands out in a professional way.

• Videos: I gained skills in video editing and making my own videos using Canva. With a lot of tools and templates, I learned that creating a social Media post has never been so easy. 

• Storyboard: Storyboarding is very important when it comes to planning videos and presentations. Luckily you can do it quite easily with Canva. Now I can map out ideas and create a good piece of content that engages my viewer.

• Bulk designs: I learned that bulk designs in Canva allows users to create multiple variations of a design at the same time. This feature is ideal for producing a large amount of similar designs quickly, for social media posts, for marketing material, event promotions and even personalised training certificates.

• WordPress: 

I learned how to use WordPress, this is also how I publish my blogs on the trainingmatchmaker website. I learned that a good website is very important for every business no matter how small or big the business is and that a website can never be considered complete -that it is good to add fresh new content and update old content. So thanks to my trainer Christine I now know how wordpress works, how important it is for businesses and how to blog! 

• Photography and Videography on iPhone 

At the Apple Store in Victoria Square in Belfast, I participated in a free workshop on using your iPhone for photography and videos. iPhones have a lot of useful camera options for your everyday life, but also for special days like when you want to film a movie with your friends or want to do a wee photoshoot with a client. Those two courses were very interesting and I would definitely recommend them. You will definitely find out a lot more about your camera on your phone and the features available. The courses are almost every day so just register for one and enjoy your newfound knowledge. I got to practice my videography and photography skills in work settings – taking photos of training happening, of businesses and business leaders and employees and also of destinations and tour guides in Northern Ireland. I feel like I am now a better photographer and videographer than before and I hope that my models like the images and videos that I captured of them, at work, and that they will use them in their marketing communications going forward.

• How to write a Blog:

My host and Trainer Christine gave me an explanation on how to write blogs and then how to publish them using WordPress. It was very clear for me that she wants me to write a ton of Blogs and I did write a ton of Blogs, for example the blog that you are currently reading I wrote and published using the WordPress platform – the back end of the website appears to be like Microsoft word so I found it easy to use.

• Google reviews: 

Christine taught me the importance of writing google reviews, because it can help businesses grow but also advise other customers the best places to spend their time and money. I think it’s important to read reviews before visiting a restaurant/hotel/company because it tells you a lot about it and you know what you are getting yourself into. Most people only leave reviews when something bad happens, so be different and leave one when you enjoy it there. I was introduced to the concept of civic pride and I left over 20 new google reviews of the places I visited – these reviews can be found by all on google maps in the days, weeks, months and years ahead!

• Marketing your Start-up Business:

I participated in two very interesting webinars on how to market Up your Start Up Business and how to develop powerful marketing strategies. Chartered Marketer, SOSTAC Certified Planner, Google Square and Qualified Trainer and Mentor: Christine Watson presented the webinar and it was fully funded by the UK Government levelling up programme as part of the multi million pound investment in a business start up support programme called Go Succeed. Organised by Enterprise NI this online learning was completely free for everyone across Northern Ireland to attend and benefit from. The webinars were good for finding out how to help your new business grow and how to market a small business, because marketing a start-up is completely different than doing marketing for a big company that might already have many things in place.

• Customer Service training at Carrickfergus Enterprise 

My recent trip to Carrickfergus was essential for my growth in marketing and customer service. The journey began with a scenic train ride to Carrickfergus. Upon arrival, I walked from the train station to Carrickfergus Enterprise, where I met Chartered Marketer Christine Watson to prepare the training room. We rearranged tables, tested equipment, set the scene, and made sure everyone had refreshments, showing me just how much effort goes into preparing the training venue to welcome trainees. 

The training session on the principles of customer service, delivered by Licensed WorldHost Trainer Christine Watson, was incredibly insightful. For lunch, our wonderful host Kelli McRoberts provided tea, coffee, and delicious sandwiches, including vegetarian options for me. Thanks to Kelli, we had energy to continue our training programme.

The session showed the dedication needed to deliver outstanding customer service consistently. I was excited to graduate from the WorldHost customer service training, joining over one million individuals who have achieved this globally recognised accreditation.

In the evening, I had hoped to stay at Dobbins Inn, famous for its haunted hotel room – an insight shared with me from a client of my host company – Adrian of Lead the Way Tours who runs Dine and Dander events at the Dobbins Inn. Unfortunately, there was no room at the inn, this time – with the haunted room unavailable, I found alternative accommodation at “The Keep,” a charming bed and breakfast run by a friendly couple. The room was very comfortable and cosy and the breakfast was excellent. I left a number of positive google reviews from my experiences visiting this historic destination.

I also found out about another haunted hotel room nearby – in the Ballygally Castle hotel and a ghost dog spotted in Carrickfergus too! 

• Second World War Tour in Carrickfergus and Belfast

I had the opportunity to take a historical lesson in the Belfast Central Library. There was a free course about the War and how it affected Belfast. Since I’m from Austria I’m very interested in the second World War so that was the perfect chance for me to find out more. Not only did I find out about the War in Northern Ireland I also got to see some interesting replicas of things that you had to have with you everyday between 1939 and 1945 for example: a gasmask, ration book, toys for children and so much more. When I was in Carrickfergus for two days for my Customer Service training certificate at Carrickfergus enterprise, I also had a tour with Adrian Hack, a tour guide from Carrickfergus who told me about all the history that you can find in Carrickfergus. He showed me the most important sights and some really interesting replicas he had from the second World War. I will definitely return to Carrickfergus and book a longer tour with Adrian because this town and the region has so much history that I wasn’t able to visit and experience it all in my short time in NI.

• An afternoon at Mallusk enterprise park

First, we stopped at the B Social Deli, where I enjoyed a delicious, freshly made to order salad, perfect for my vegetarian diet. This was followed by one of their new strawberry frappes and a snack of local Glens of Antrim crisps. After a friendly chat with the staff, my supervisor Christine and I headed to Mallusk Enterprise Hub to get some work done. While I wrote my Learning Plan blog, Christine helped set up the conference room for an important board meeting and Annual General Meeting (AGM). The food for the evening event was catered by the team at B Social Deli, and a professional photographer captured images of the event, which will be shared on Mallusk Enterprise Park’s social media channels to promote their professional spaces.

When the conference started, Christine and I moved to one of Mallusk Enterprise Hub’s small private huddle rooms, where we could focus without distractions. Christine then delivered a two-hour webinar on ‘Developing Powerful Marketing Strategies’ for the Go Succeed NI programme, commissioned by Enterprise NI. After the insightful webinar, delivered to start up businesses from across Northern Ireland, we visited the new King’s Coronation Garden in Hazelbank Park on our way back to Belfast. It was refreshing to get out and about, and I loved the beautiful view from Hazelbank Park. 

I found that I liked working remotely and from different places and spaces. I found it a new experience and better for concentration and productivity.

• The art of Storytelling by Disney Pixar

I really loved “The Art of Storytelling by Pixar” online course provided by Khan Academy and taught by the movie producers behind the famous Pixar films. It was fascinating to see how they create their animated films, focusing on character development, emotional connections, and imaginative worlds. The course included videos explaining various techniques and provided exercises like creating your own characters, worlds, and stories, which I found really exciting. I spent a lot of time developing my own story with unique characters, plot, and emotions, and I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in storytelling. It took me over seven hours to complete the full online training programme but this was because I was applying my learning intently throughout – other learners may be able to complete it quicker but I invested the time in creating my own story and characters and I think it was really interesting – I enjoyed the freedom to be as creative as I want to be and the independence to create my own world!

•  English communication skills 

Thanks to Christine Watson I met a lot of new people and had the chance to speak with them. At the beginning it was difficult for me to understand the locals because of their Irish accent and their quick speed of talking. Since I had to talk with a lot of people I started to understand them more and more and with every day I felt more comfortable talking to people. There are some words that I find especially interesting like ”wee”. It’s not a commonly used word outside of Ireland so I did not know what it meant at the beginning. At least now I know and I have as a result, adopted it – replacing the word small with ‘wee’ in my vocabulary.  Five weeks in Belfast enhanced my English communication skills – both spoken (verbal) and written and I would recommend an Erasmus placement in Belfast to everyone.

• About Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing:

Watson & Co. Chartered Marketing is a Marketing consultancy and training company. The company was created in the year 2005 by multi award winning and industry experienced Chartered Marketer Christine Watson. Christine delivers excellent and creative marketing to businesses and organisations to help them improve and grow.  

 

• About Training Matchmaker: 

Trainingmatchmaker.com curate and publish a wide variety of learning opportunities, both free and paid, available online and face-to-face. Trainingmatchmaker.com aims to inspire learning in all its forms. Training Matchmaker was founded by Chartered Marketer Christine Watson. With more than 10 years of experience as a Licensed Trainer, Christine has personally delivered training to more than 1,000 individuals.

 

• • About WorldHost:

WorldHost is a top-tier training program known for helping organisations achieve exceptional customer service. Known and trusted worldwide, the program offers a unique, human centred, and transformative approach to training. To date, over one million customer-facing employees have benefited from WorldHost’s customer service training programs.

 

• About Erasmus+: 

Erasmus+ is the European Union’s program to enhance education, training, youth, and sports across Europe. It offers opportunities for people to study, train, and volunteer abroad, aiming to improve skills and employability. The program focuses on social inclusion, green and digital transitions, and youth participation in democracy.

 

• About Intern Europe: 

Based in Belfast, Intern Europe collaborates with European partners to implement mobility projects under Erasmus+ Lifelong Learning Programmes. They oversee every aspect of participants’ mobility and work placements. Their mobility programmes include providing (high-quality) accommodation options, such as self-catering apartments shared by international participants and homestays with local families.