It’s been one month since I joined the Conscious team as a Copywriter, and what a whirlwind it has been (spoilers – in a good way).
Just a few days after I started, I had an email conversation with our Managing Director of Stuff & Things, David which went something like this:
“David: please keep a log of your first month at Conscious and write a blog post about it.
Me: Ok.”
So here we are.
Before we get started, a quick note on what I do for Conscious – as a Copywriter, my job is to produce written content for our law firm clients’ websites as part of their SEO projects. From contact pages, to pages marketing their services, to blog posts on current events, every piece of content on their website should have real, measurable value to each customer. In most cases, this value is to get clients to engage with their site and convince them to utilise their services.
If you’re interested in boosting your website’s written content, please feel free to get in touch by calling 0117 325 0200 or by emailing sales@conscious.co.uk.
Surviving day one
First days always have the potential to be overwhelming for new employees. The day usually consists of being bombarded with information, struggling with your new workstation, and being introduced to dozens of new faces (and instantly forgetting their names).
However, there are many ways in which a company can alleviate the pressure of “day one”. And in fact, my first day was not at all traumatic simply due to some relatively small personal touches.
Yes, I was bombarded with information, and yes, I did meet dozens of people whose names I struggled to remember. However, in anticipation of this inevitability, I was given a “Your First Day at Conscious” booklet about a week before my start date, giving me the opportunity to prepare as much as possible in advance. This booklet included information about my orientation into the company as well as information about what to wear, what to bring, and details of the business software we use. I therefore knew exactly what to expect prior to my first day.
Additionally, on day one itself, I arrived in the morning to a card and gift on my desk, everything IT-related was set-up in advance (and more importantly, it all worked), my teammates took me for lunch, and I was given a handy floorplan and list of my colleagues (with their job title and a short description of what they do for Conscious).
As a result, I was given the impression that Conscious was truly happy to welcome me into the fold, reducing any first day anxiety and making me feel more comfortable about asking questions and getting involved.
Conscious culture
If I could fault my Conscious onboarding on anything, it would be that the induction process focused heavily on getting acquainted with our culture but less on the dull necessities, such as how to work the phones and time and call logging.
However, I can’t complain too much about this. In the long-term, understanding how and why your workplace operates in a certain way is more valuable in helping you fit in effectively. Furthermore, most of the technicalities of the job tend to be fairly easy to pick up along the way, but could also be automated as, say, written, video, or slideshow training modules if necessary.
More importantly to me, I felt adequately supported and able to ask questions from day one. In fact, I immediately got the impression that one’s wellbeing and “community” are high-priority here, which is great because when we feel supported, happy, and included we’re far more likely to perform better for our clients. As such, below are just some of the activities and events we’ve taken part in over the past month which promote community and wellbeing:
Bristol Legal Walk
A group of us recently went on the South West Legal Support Trust’s Legal Walk, a 10km excursion around Bristol city centre and harbourside. All money raised goes to local free legal advice centres to help individuals and families access legal support in their time of need.
Mental Health Awareness Week
I had the good fortune to join Conscious just before Mental Health Awareness Week so was able to get involved in a variety of events organised by our Wellbeing team, including:
- Monday cupcakes – a simple but effective way to perk up your employees on a Monday morning is definitely to distribute fancy cupcakes.
- Curry and Chaat – inspired by the Mental Health Foundation’s fundraising and awareness events, we brought in homemade (well, some were shop bought!) Indian curry dishes and talked about mental health over lunch
- Mindful knitting – knitting scarves for the office dogs, to help reduce our stress levels
Thoughts on the job itself
Although I now write for a living, I actually studied law at university and have previous experience working at a commercial law firm. However, I’m a writer at heart and nothing makes me happier than, excuse the irony here, making words sound good.
That’s why being able to combine my love for the law and my love of writing is the ultimate dream. Furthermore, as a result of my legal background, I enjoy now being in a position where I can work with such a wide variety of legal clients and explore the infinite ways a law firm can conduct and market its business.
Law firms often share common goals at a base level (such as to provide a high quality of client services), but the different ways in which firms pursue their goals are what truly makes them special (“be different, not better” is actually one of our mantras). I look forward to spending much more time getting to know our clients individually and producing content which is aligned with their individual business interests and needs.
If you’re interested in enhancing your website’s written content to attract and convert more clients, get in touch with us by calling 0117 325 0200 or by emailing sales@conscious.co.uk.