Intern Insight – Bright Purple Lithuania

Hi everyone! My name is Skaiste and I’m studying at Vilnius Lyceum. Many people say that it is the best school in Lithuania and actually it is! I am participating in the internship project organized by “School of Success”.

When I found out that I had been accepted for project I was extremely happy. I wanted to experience what real work means, to develop my skills and gain an understanding of a profession that maybe something I want to do when I leave school. But as the big day approached I felt a little bit scared. I had checked Bright Purple’s website to learn more about the company and the first impression was very good. I liked the ideas and the values of the company and was looking forward to finding out more, so I was waiting for my first day impatiently. As I said, I was excited and a little bit scared at the same time but on my arrival I was greeted by four friendly ladies: Egle, Lina, Jurga and Jurate who instantly put me at ease.

The first few days were full of emotion, meeting new people and being in working environment all very new to me. I met via video conference with Diana (HR), Amanda (Marketing & Social Media), Sarah (Apprentice), Megan (Office Administrator) and Nick (CEO) all based from the Edinburgh head office. They were amazing! My English is not perfect but they created a really comfortable and friendly environment, so I just forgot all my worries. I learned a lot of new things, like presentation skills, CPD. Also I learned more about social media, marketing, diversity in the workplace. These will all be very useful in for my future.

On Wednesday I visited a client with Egle, Jurate and Jurga. It was a very interesting experience to get an insight into how to conduct yourself in front of clients in a professional manner.  This is something I will definitely find useful in the future; I can also use this experience when I attend interviews.

To sum up, these few days gave me a lot of food for thought. I am really glad to be here. Thank you guys, you are awesome!

Once in a Life Time Opportunity

(Craig Lamb – Trainee Resourcer at Bright Purple Resourcing)

In my short life, I have had the privilege of doing a lot of things others will never get the chance to do, and meeting Sir Tom Hunter is one of those things. The thought of being in the same room as a billionaire was absolutely mind blowing. Myself and few other Bright Purple colleagues travelled through to Ayrshire to meet the man himself, it was a two hour drive so I had time to rap my head round the idea that in a couple of hours’ time, I would be speaking to one of Scotland’s richest men.

After our long drive, we were then greeted by Sir Tom Hunter, he sat us down and offered us tea and coffee, at first I think it is fair to say me and my Bright Purple colleagues felt a bit intimidated and were lost for words, but after a few minutes the conversation started to flow. We firstly explained a little bit about the Bright Purple Futures Programme, and then we got the chance to ask our questions. Sir Tom told us about his dreams and ambitions as a youngster, and they were no different from mine. Just like me, he wanted the fast car and dream house. He told us about how he made his first fortune and what attributes you would need if you were to be as successful as him.

After we met Sir Tom Hunter, and we made our way back to Edinburgh, it all felt a bit surreal, not many people can say in their life, that they have met a billionaire. The thing that shocked me most about Tom was, that he was just like any other ordinary person, even though he was a billionaire, it didn’t change him as a person.

Sir Tom Hunter – a true inspiration

(Lewis O’Connor – Trainee Resourcer at Bright Purple Resourcing)

Throughout my time at Bright Purple as an apprentice I have been given the chance to meet and also work alongside exceptional people. I have taken a lot from meeting with the likes of Craig Paterson, Jennifer Cheyne and so many other inspirational entrepreneurs. I have since recently completed the programme and have been hard at work within the Corporate Contract Team. I never imagined being given the chance to meet with one of Scotland’s richest men.

Sir Tom Hunter is one of the most successful Scottish entrepreneurs ever. Yesterday myself along with Fellow apprentices Sarah and Craig set of with Marielle (Head of the Apprentice Programme) and Amanda (PR & Marketing) to make the two hour drive to meet with a billionaire. We arrived in style pulling up alongside Sir Tom Hunter’s Range Rover in our Bright Red Ford KA.

I had expectations of what the session with Sir Tom would be like and how I thought a multi-millionaire would interact with Apprentices. My thoughts and opinions were completely scrubbed as within 30 seconds Sir Tom had offered us all a warm welcome a brief background about himself and even a KitKat.

The Meeting with Sir Tom was by far the most interesting and inspirational conversations I have ever had. He spoke of his humble background and how he was able to transform his lifestyle and go on to achieve so much in such a short time. The thing that struck me the most was the fact he did not boast about how much money he had or how many fancy cars he had. Instead he spoke of the Hunter Foundation and the plans he had going forward in wanting to put his money back into helping people around the world.

Sir Tom Hunter spoke to each and every one of us as though we were just as valuable and exciting to meet as the likes of President Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, Sir David Murray and so many other iconic people. I was blown away by his honesty and will to help others.

I came away from the meeting with even greater ambition and belief in both myself and what I can achieve. I am hugely thankful for the opportunity and cannot thank Sir Tom Hunter enough for his time and advice.

Bright Purple has continued to support me throughout my time and have helped me open so many doors. I have experience which rivals any of my friends and family and for that to I am hugely grateful and proud to be a part of the Bright Futures Apprentice Programme.

Forget the Last 6 Months; This is Where it Really Begins

(Craig Lamb – Trainee Resourcer at Bright Purple Resourcing)

 My first week as a full time resourcer was one of my hardest weeks at Bright Purple, after a two week holiday I had to quickly regain my working mentality as I was keen to make a good impression on my first week back.

It was surreal being back at Bright Purple and not being surrounded by the apprentices, instead I was in a team with Daniel and Martin in the International team. It was hard not being in the apprentice team, I had spent six months with 5 people who I came to know very well, then all of a sudden, we were all split up, it almost felt like I had started a new job and I was working for a different company.

Since the apprenticeship has finished, even though it has been a short time, I have changed. Ever since starting the resourcing job, I have had targets to meet, but when I was an apprentice, if one week I didn’t reach my targets I could use the fact that I was an apprentice as an excuse. But now there are no excuses and both Bright Purple and my CEO Nick Price, quite rightly expect me to add value to the company. That means reaching my targets every week, which will give me more chance of placing candidates, which in turn will make Bright Purple money and I will become an asset to the company.

This has transformed  me into a stronger character, knowing I am under pressure to meet targets and make money, doesn’t scare me; it makes me more determined to exceed my targets by big margins and help Bright Purple reach the bigger goals they have as a business, which makes me thrive.

My first week on the job was a big learning curve; I learnt many things in my first couple days back at Bright Purple.

The only way to make money, is to pick up the phone
This isn’t a 9am – 5.30pm job
You only get what you put into it

And learning these few things on my first few days as being a full time resourcer opened my eyes and made me realise what I have to do if I am to do well here at Bright Purple. I don’t want to meet my targets, I want to smash them and I don’t want to make a little bit of cash, I WANT TO MAKE LOADS OF MONEY.

The First Minister embraces a PURPLE Scotland

(By Lewis O’Connor – Trainee Resourcer at Bright Purple Resourcing)
Wednesday 18^th July was one of my biggest days in Bright Purple. I and the other apprentices have been given numerous opportunities to meet with well-established and influential business people throughout the programme. Today we were gifted with the chance to meet with both Angela Constance (Minister for Youth Employment) and our very own First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond accompanied by a stampede of film crews and photographers.

The experience has been yet another one to cherish and it rates as another memorable event in my short career here at Bright Purple. To think back to where I was 6 months ago with a dead end job and no real ambition, belief or sense of direction to know sitting alongside two of the most influential people in Scotland, holding my own in a discussion which is affecting my friends, family and the whole nation.

I was extremely inspired by their visit and it still hasn’t quite yet sunk in. I was blown away by their huge interest in the programme and also how we as individuals have developed and grown into young business men and women. It was so refreshing to meet with the First Minster and Angela Constance and to hear just how down to earth they really are and how passionate they are about youth unemployment something which has been an obstacle in my life and so many other young bright people out there.

To be in a position where I was able to express my feelings and share my views on what I think can be done to help, with such a hugely well debated issue as youth unemployment with the man at the very top of Scottish politics was unbelievable. I along with the other apprentices was able to tell both the First Minister and Angela Constance, how Bright Purple is bucking the trend by believing and trusting in its young people. Explaining that if other businesses were to take notice of the work being done here at Bright Purple they would soon reap the rewards as Bright Purple have by adding a dynamic, fresh and new way of thinking in the business. In return for the hard work and support provided throughout the modern apprentice you gain employees with a lot of hunger, ambition and the will to succeed.

The day has been one of great accomplishment for all involved. I know for sure that I and the other apprentices were inspired and hugely grateful for the opportunity and will take a lot out of the meeting. The wider Bright Purple team were honoured to host such a well know prestigious guest and I am sure the First Minister left with a lot of food for thought. He heard first-hand the challenges faced by youngsters and just how much potential they have if given the chance.

The First Minister commented he should have worn purple, given we were all dressed in something purple – next time maybe he will?

A visit from the man himself – Scotland’s First Minister

(Deonne Budge, Office Junior at Bright Purple Resourcing)

18^th July 2012 has to be one of the biggest days of my life, and for all the Bright Futures apprentices. We have had the opportunity to meet so many senior business professionals, even millionaires and a Nobel Peace prize winner, but. today was the day Alex Salmond the First Minister and Angela Consistence, Minister for Youth Employment came to speak to the apprentices. I have said before that working in Bright Purple has been a roller coaster and each day is different, but this has to be the one to beat.

I had been preparing to meet Angela Constance and the day was nearly here and my nerves were kicking in. Then Amanda  our Marketing and social Media Manager, came up to announce that the First Minister was also attending the meeting with us and this just added more nerves and the excitement started to build.

On the arrival of Alex Salmond and Angela Constance the media were everywhere and it was so busy, I didn’t know what to do as many people were asking questions and it was like I was living in a dream. To come to work on a Wednesday morning and have media taking pictures and a film crew filming the apprentices was something I could most defiantly get used to. Bright Purple is a place that is full of surprises, always new projects, new ideas and new day’s, but I can truly say now that I know of no apprenticeship that will have had the opportunities that we all have had.

A question that I got asked by Angela Constance was, “do you think other businesses should do this?” and my answer is of course 100% yes, because this has had such a positive effective on me, not just on a business side but, also on a personal level as well. I have gained so much experience here at Bright Purple in the past 6 months that I can only highly recommend to every young person out there, find an apprenticeship and if more businesses where creating apprenticeship like this, then the youth unemployment figures would go down and youngsters like me would feel valued and work hard to make it.

Who would have thought that I have went from cleaning floors to sitting with our First Minister, Alex Salmond and our Youth Employment Minister, Angela Constance and talking about youth employment and apprenticeship schemes?

Inspiring young purple people, inspiring Scotland

(By Andrew Muirhead, CEO of Inspiring Scotland)

On Thursday 12th July I returned to the Inspiring Scotland office and I felt distinictevely bright purple.

I had just attended the Bright Purple Academy’s first ever graduation ceremony for their group of 6 Bright Futures Apprentices and met their Graduates; a group of motivated, enthusiastic, committed, professional, engaged and inspirational young people – I was hugely impressed.

Like Bright Purple’s CEO Nick Price, and the rest of his team, I’m passionate about tackling some of the countries toughest social issues in a strategic and collaborative way.  The Youth unemployment in this country is frightening.  But what is even more scary is the outlook for the next generations if we don’t do anything.

At Inspiring Scotland we’ve invested over £20 million in a fund which has supported over 12,000 young people to be in the best possible place to secure a job, place in education or training.  To do this we’ve formed a unique partnership across the private, public and not-for-profit sector.  One sector can’t solve this issue on it’s own, we need everyone pulling together in the same direction and only then will we  begin to make a significant and sustained difference.

Congratulations to the Academy’s Graduates and thank you to Bright Purple for allowing me to share in the experience.

Nick Price, Bright Purple’s CEO commented: “ the work that Andrew Muirhead and the team of dedicated people at Inspiring Scotland can’t be underestimnated and the organisation makes a significant difference to young lives across Scotland on a daily basis.”

He went on to say “We were delighted when Andrew came to Bright Purple’s Academy to meet and talk with the apprentices, who at that time were far greener than they are today and he delivered an inspirational session with them, but that’s what we expected because he’s an inspirational man and we thank him for dedicating his time to our young people, who benefited greatly from it.”

You can see more about Inspiring Scotland and the wonderful work they do here at – http://www.inspiringscotland.org.uk/

Celebrate good times – the 12th July, a memorable day for our apprentices

(Marielle Tweedie – Resourcer at Bright Purple Resourcing)

Gaining fantastic new skills, experiencing once in a lifetime opportunities, meeting millionaires, attending events at Hamden, appearing on television and radio, presenting to politicians and key policy makers, taking part in business critical projects and assisting the Bright Purple team, are not the only things the apprentices have gained in their time at Bright Purple. I am delighted to say they have now all successfully completed their SVQ in Business and Administration Level 2 and last week we held a graduation with a difference to mark their achievements.

Robert Orden describes a graduation ceremony as “an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that ‘individuality’ is the key to success.” But here at Bright Purple we do things differently and we wanted to not only celebrate them receiving their SVQ, but also their individual efforts on the programme and that’s what happened on the 12^th July 2012.

In addition to a full house of Bright Purple people we were also joined in the Academy by friends on the programme who have given their time and effort including Neil Francis from Company Net and The Together Partnership, Andrew Muirhead CEO of Inspiring Scotland, Monica Black and Veronica McNeill from DGM and Gordon Dow from The Power Lunch Club.

Nick Price, Bright Purple’s CEO had kicked off the proceedings, discussing why we decided to run the programme, how we have been impressed from a business perspective by the young people’s steely determination and resilience and why it has turned out to be such a success.

My own presentation was slightly different – I finished it by saying it was a day for celebration and used a balloon prop to highlight my point. I delivered my line “let’s end things with a bang” and burst the balloon with a pin. I hadn’t had a dress rehearsal of this so I jumped just as high as the other people in the room!

The apprentices have worked together as a team over the last 6 months and have really bonded. Tom and Becki have decided that sales is not for them so they will be exploring new opportunities in the areas of banking and sports science and have already secured interviews with organisations that include HSBC and The Leith Agency.  A really touching part of the graduation was when the apprentices that were staying put together short presentations for both Becki and Tom to mark their achievements.  Tom was gobsmacked and visibly touched by the words that Lewis had put together for him.

The whole graduation was quite an emotional event as the team at Bright Purple have worked extremely closely with the apprentices and have seen them grow from a group of inexperienced kids to polished professional recruiters and seeing the transformation and hearing the apprentices talk about their gratitude to us all was extremely touching.  There were definitely a few packets of Kleenex used in The Academy when they delivered their thanks.

Also in the audience was a special guest from the Scottish Government, Danny McDonald who works with Angela Constance the Minister for Youth Employment. He had come along to see what the programme involved.

When Neil Francis came in to visit the apprentices and take part in a speaker session, he told them that when the programme finished they should leave with their heads held high and in the weeks leading up to their graduation he recommended they watch the Steve Jobs video of him delivering his commencement speech to the graduates of Stanford University in 2005. In it he talks about getting fired from Apple in 1985, also life and death.

I think everyone should watch this video as it highlights exactly the atmosphere that was in the Bright Purple Academy the day the apprentices received their certificates.  Although the programme is coming to an end there will be another graduation in 6 months time as Lewis, Deonne, Craig and Sarah continue to grow in their careers by working with DGM to complete their SVQ Level 3 in Business and Administration here at Bright Purple. This gives me another 6 months to come up with another presentation prop!

Here is the link to the Steve Jobs video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

How to become a new person in six months

(Deonne Budge  – Apprentices, Bright Futures Programme)

This is a photograph of me in my first weeks of January 2012 as a new apprentice with Bright Purple and with my friend and fellow apprentice Becki – she’s the one in the red ear muffs!

Six months have passed and it is now the end of the apprentice programme and it has not long been announced that I have gained a permanent place here at Bright Purple. Looking back prior to January 2012 I was working in a job that I did not like, I didn’t have a career plan but everything changed when I came to Bright Purple and over the last six months, I have done things I dreamed of doing when I first arrived back in January. My own journey here as an apprentice has now ended so quickly and it has been an exceptional and emotional journey. I know other people in their late teens and early 20’s by just getting a small part of the opportunities I have had working in this environment, would help them to think more positively about their own futures.

One of the best part’s of my experiences I would have to say is having had the opportunity of working with the wonderful Emma Hill. Emma was my mentor for the first three months and I just don’t think I would be sitting where I am just now if it wasn’t for her. She is such an inspiration to me and every time I thought I couldn’t do something, Emma helped me believe that I could.

At the start of the programme I would never have written a blog on my own and all my life I have had difficulties with reading and writing, but it is something that Bright Purple has continued to help me with and also helped me the importance of learning to communicate in a professional manner.

We, the six apprentices all were told when first starting in January that there were going to be two places made available in the sales team at the end of the programme. I always worked hard and I wanted to make sure I gave myself a chance of gaining a permanent place at Bright Purple, but as the decision day came closer and closer I decided to myself that sales wasn’t for me. I loved the company and really wanted to work in Bright Purple, but couldn’t see myself in a sales role any longer.

So I plucked up the courage and decided to tell Marielle that I was thinking of moving on to do something else, to try to gain more experience in administration or in a reception and use my organisation skills, which is something I am good at and love doing. When I first told Marielle my thoughts, she said to me to do what I think is right for me and so I started looking for a new position half way to decision day, but it was really hard and almost everything I applied for I never got a response, it was very disappointing.

When the day finally came, D-day as we all started to call it, I knew that I wasn’t going to gain a place here given I had made it known I didn’t want a sales role and so I was just waiting to see who was going to be the lucky ones. Four of us, Lewis, Sarah, Craig and I got taken into the Academy and we didn’t know what was going on, then Marielle said we have 4 envelopes with each of your names on it and inside it ether says you have a place or not. For the people who are not successful, we will help you to find something else – imagine how you would feel?

I thought to myself this is strange, so I just opened my card and it said that I has been successful and waited to see who else had got a place. It turned out that all four of us had a place and we were all excited, emotional and over the moon. As we all sat and took in the good news and I was still thinking to myself, if I don’t want to do sales what would I be doing if I didn’t get this chance?

At Bright Purple there are opportunities to work your way up to be the best, we are taught that the sky is the limit in this company and it is only our own lack of desire and drive to be a success story that can stop us moving forward. So for now I am helping our database team with the transfer of data from our old technology system to the new system. Whilst I am working with this team, I am also completing my Scottish Vocational Level 3 in Business and Administration – still learning while working.

Neil Lafferty is the Sales Director in Bright Purple and is someone who is always very busy and is always easy to talk with and I spoke to Neil about doing duties that a PA would need to do and this will help give me the evidence that I need to complete my level 3. This is something I have only dreamed of completing and to think those six months ago I was struggling to come across in a professional manner and didn’t think I would make it to the end of the programme against such exceptional and confident young people, like my five other apprentice colleagues. Now taking the initiative to work closely with Neil Lafferty our Sales Director and learning about the new technology system, where I will hopefully get involved in helping to deliver the training to all new staff. If this is what I can do in six months, then I can’t wait to see what the next six months will bring.

Helping young people to have their say

(Deonne Budge – Apprentice, Bright Futures Programme)

Marielle Tweedie who is Head of the Bright Futures Programme and a Resourcer in our busy sales team, still somehow find’s time to volunteer at Citadel Youth Centre – http://www.citadelyouthcentre.org.uk/

The Citadel Youth Centre offers local children & young people aged between 6 and 21yrs opportunities for fun, meeting friends, trying new things and having experienced youth workers there for help and support. The Citadel helps young people to have their say and with a view to making Edinburgh’s Leith area a good place to grow up.

On the 26^th June Rachel and Andy who are two youth workers at the Citadel Youth Centre came to Bright Purple with three of their teenagers to see how a Recruitment Agency works and to find out more about the Apprentice programme. Tom and I talked about our background before Bright Purple and we talked about how lucky we are to have been accepted in to Bright Purple, not only to work in the company but also to be a part of the social life as well.

Spending the time with the citadel team was great something I feel I can relate to, because while I am happy doing the role I do now, it doesn’t mean I have felt that way. It has taken a lot of hard work and really improved my confidence. You must believe in yourself, everyone else telling you that you can do something isn’t the same as telling yourself and believing in yourself.

For the Citadel teenagers, Tessa, Jordon and Scott I believe that they have the desire to get on in life and I would be happy to help in any way I can, even if it’s sharing my experiences so far. It was such a pleasure to talk with you all and I would just like to say to everyone who follows our blogs, that citadel are doing a fantastic job at helping young people in Edinburgh to get some focus. Keep up the good work Citadel.