NGDP - A Day in the Life

By Sarah, National Management Trainee on the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) at Bedford Borough Council.

I’ve been working at the Council for two months now and I am in the middle of my first placement with the Communications and Communities team.

In what has already been a very varied 8 weeks, I have a number of different projects related to Bedford’s Markets, The Higgins Museum, Bedford and the Council’s social media platforms.

No two days are the same, but here is what a day in my life can look like…

8.45am – Into the Office

I usually get into work for 8.45am and pop into our onsite café to grab a hot chocolate before my day in the office starts. Luckily my drive into work isn’t very long. I grew up in Bedford, so it’s exciting to now be working for my community.

8.50am – Starting my work day

Armed with my hot chocolate, I’m ready to start my day. First, I check my calendar to see what meetings I need to prepare for today and have a quick read of my emails.

I’m a big planner so also look to plan out my day in a notebook – it helps me prioritise my different tasks throughout the day, and keep track of my progress. Working in the communications team can be very fast-paced, and I sometimes get given new tasks that I need to prioritise over my ongoing projects. I always make a note of these in my diary, so I can plan in my day time to complete them. It’s important to be flexible, and adapt my schedule to ensure I meet all my deadlines.

My mornings are usually spent researching and planning content for social media, writing text and drafting newsletters. I also analyse the social media statistics from our different accounts. This feedback is important to gauge what type of content our followers and viewers are engaging with, which helps me plan future posts. I’ll report the information back to my team in our team meeting later on this morning.

11am – Team Meeting

Our weekly team meeting is an opportunity to discuss what everyone is working on, feedback to my colleagues about my projects and gain support with anything I need help with. It is also useful for learning about upcoming events and press releases, so I can plan related content into my schedule.

I don’t have many meetings today, but some days I have more, depending on my projects and deadlines.

11.30am – Creating Content

One of the things I enjoy most about my job is taking photos and videos out and about for upcoming social media posts and campaigns. The content is very varied and reflects the wide range of projects that the Communications team work on – in the past few weeks I’ve filmed everything from the Chief Executive to Santa Claus.

I plan the shots I want to take in advance to make sure I don’t miss anything, get together any equipment I need and then head out to my filming locations.

Today I’m creating a video to celebrate Bedfordshire Day, so I’ll film iconic statues and landmarks, as well as our County’s local delicacy – the Bedfordshire Clanger!

1pm – Lunchtime

I like to have a walk around town during my lunch break, we have some great independent cafes and it’s lovely to sit by the river when the weather is nice. If it’s raining, I’ll catch up with colleagues over a sandwich and cake in our staff lounge and take some time away from my desk.

2pm – Editing my content

After lunch, it’s back to my desk to review the photos and videos I’ve taken. I edit the video using Canva and Kinemaster, finalise my posts and then schedule them to be published to the Council’s social media platforms. The editing process can be a lengthy one, depending on the project, but it’s important to get the content just right for our audience – and ensure I add the subtitles.

For the next couple of hours, I’ll write more draft text for our museum’s newsletter and the market’s website. These are my ongoing projects, so I do a little bit each day to work towards the deadlines.

4pm – Coaching

This afternoon I also have a coaching session, which is a unique opportunity for graduates completing the NGDP. I can gain support with everything from work to personal skills I’d like to develop during my placement and today my coach is helping me prepare for a presentation I’ll be giving to my team in a couple of weeks. I can practice presenting and get constructive feedback and advice to improve and feel more confident. I find the sessions a really valuable addition to the Programme here.

5pm – Final Emails and Planning

It’s been a busy day of meetings, writing and filming! At the end of my day, I reply to any outstanding emails and review my to do list. I make sure any outstanding tasks are planned into my calendar for tomorrow, including preparation time for any meetings I have.

Then it’s time to sign out of the social media accounts, log out of my laptop and head home, ready for another busy day tomorrow!

I hope this gives you an insight into my work as a National Management Trainees on the National Graduate Development Programme. Bedford are currently recruiting for next year’s intake and I can’t recommend it highly enough. To find out more go to: https://www.bedford.gov.uk/jobs/national-management-trainee