One of the most important things I learnt whilst completing my placement was the importance of ‘speaking up’. However, this is easier said than done as expressing personal thoughts in an unfamiliar setting can be a daunting task.

In my first few days at the WACA I was quite content to hover in the background and keep my ideas to myself but as my confidence levels began to increase, I realised that to get the most out of the experience I would have to become more proactive in my interactions with supervisors and co-workers. This new attitude lead to several of my ideas being implemented into the programme we were designing, which aimed to increase the profile of junior cricket in Western Australia. Furthermore, the initiative I was trying to show lead to my supervisors giving more responsibility and independence in my dealings with various stakeholders, such as Master Foods, who were the major sponsor of the junior beach cricket day we organised.

In the second half of my placement I was felt as though I was contributing positively to the workplace environment and that I wasn’t just the ‘work experience guy’. Had I remained in the background throughout, both the WACA and I would have gained far less from the experience.