My Work Experience at Gilcrest Manufacturing

Over the last seven weeks, I have had the opportunity to work with Gilcrest Manufacturing in their sales and marketing department. This work experience has been a highly valuable opportunity, allowing me to learn new skills, put my knowledge into practice, and contribute to real projects.

I have always enjoyed studying marketing at university, and this interest motivated me to apply for a work experience placement where I could see how the subject works in practice. I wanted the chance to apply my knowledge in a real business setting, gain hands-on experience, and find out which areas of marketing I enjoy the most. This work experience provided exactly that opportunity.

A highlight early on was our team day, where we played team-building games and activities. It was a fun experience that helped me quickly integrate into the team, build relationships, and understand how collaboration is central to the way Gilcrest works. This made me feel welcome from the start and gave me confidence as I began my projects.

During my time at Gilcrest, I worked on several exciting tasks. Being able to take ownership of projects from start to finish has also strengthened my problem-solving abilities and confidence in delivering results.

Digital Campaigns

I worked with the sales teams to understand the target audience and then went on to create targeted campaigns designed to generate leads. This gave me the opportunity to learn how digital marketing can be used strategically to reach the right people at the right time.

Instruction Manual Templates

Email Design

Brand Templating

With the overview from both teams I updated and managed datasheets, ensuring our products were presented clearly and professionally. This work developed my attention to detail and showed me how important it is to present technical information in a simple, user friendly way.

Website SEO & Redesign

With the guidance from the marketing team I redesigned, optimised and improved the Customised by Gilcrest webpage. I redesigned the structure for better flow, optimised the content to be sharper and more engaging, and improved the SEO to boost visibility, traffic, and reach. Through this project I applied both my technical and creative skills, while also learning how website improvements directly impact visibility and customer engagement.

Email Marketing

I adapted, updated and redesigned follow up email campaigns to build on the success of LinkedIn outreach. This helped me understand how different marketing channels can work together as part of a bigger strategy.

Branded Presentations & Resources

With guidelines from the marketing team I also created marketing data and resources, such as PowerPoint templates, that the team can continue to use in the future. It was rewarding to know I contributed something lasting beyond my time here.

Video Editing for LinkedIn

I worked on editing a promotional video for the company that was shared on LinkedIn. The project helped me get hands on with video editing software and sharpened my eye for detail. I also learned how to shape content specifically for social media and saw firsthand how videos can capture and engage an audience.

Final Reflections

When I began this work experience, my main motivation was to explore how the marketing skills I enjoyed at university could be applied in practice. Over the past seven weeks, I’ve not only been able to put that knowledge into action, but I’ve also discovered new areas of marketing that excite me and challenge me to grow further.

The experience has helped me build a strong set of transferable skills, from SEO and campaign planning to teamwork, communication, and time management. Most importantly, it confirmed that marketing is the career path I want to pursue and gave me the confidence to take on more responsibility in the future.

The most rewarding part of this work experience was seeing how marketing connects to every area of the business. From production to sales, every department plays a role in delivering value to customers, and I enjoyed being part of that process. Gilcrest is very focused on customer service and using AI to drive a seamless marketing journey in order to build the business’ growing portfolio of solutions.

I’d like to give a special thank you to Ed, Lee, and Dan for being so welcoming and for taking the time to train and guide me. I am also very grateful to Sarah for organising the work experience and making the whole opportunity possible.

My time at Gilcrest has been a great learning experience. I’ve developed new skills, gained confidence, and had the chance to see how marketing works in practice. It’s been a positive step forward for me, both personally and professionally, and I am excited to carry what I’ve learned into the next stage of my journey.

Looking Ahead

Gilcrest has also supported me through my decision to defer from university for a year, and I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to work full time during this time. This experience will no doubt give me a stronger foundation for both my studies and my future career.