Over the years Fresh Egg have welcomed pupils from a number of schools from the Worthing area for work experience. The company has actively participated in offering valuable work experience to school children approaching their final year at school.

In fact we still have Scrooby Dan (Work Experience 2007) working with the SEO Team at Fresh Egg every Friday whilst he is at Chichester College.

No more work experience opportunities

Sadly though, it was reluctantly decided there would be no more work experience opportunities at Fresh Egg because of the actions of recent  attendees.

The kids have talent

From the work I have seen over the years, there was no question our visitors have talent. But, and there is a but. Just because individuals may be talented, it does not give them a divine right to be damn-right rude!

How not to exit an office on your final day

So how can a young work-experience attendee offend an office full of blokes that who are used to banter? Well calling a web designer ‘a Nazi’ is not going to endear yourself to anyone. Calling other team members stupid is not exactly how you thank a team of professionals who have cared to spend time in coaching you during your week with one of the UK’s most respected SEO Teams.

The manner of how the offense was delivered was a joke as well. Our little friend printed an exit statement, taped it to his monitor and then promptly legged it!

Today’s teenagers

I’ll tell you this for nothing – if ever I hear of my children doing anything like this, they would get a severe talking too. I deplore rude, ignorant children, and whilst our visitor was no master criminal, there are lessons kids have to learn when it comes to modesty and how to treat people.

Personally, I do not expect a school child to come into a work place and call a web designer whose sites have won industry awards a Nazi, it beggars belief!

Observing the individual in question was quite an eye-opener; our visitor is a prefect at the school they attend – all you can say is what a shining example they must set to their peers!

Over the course of the week, I heard our visitor offering nothing but abuse and cheek to skilled professionals. When I quizzed our guest about their attitude they brazenly said they were worse for teachers! Is it any wonder the country is in such a mess? Until teachers are empowered to offer controlled discipline to children, then I am afraid there is no hope of children learning respect.

Recent work experience successes

As already stated, one of my former work-experience visitors now works at Fresh Egg. Scrooby Dan as he is affectionately known in the Fresh Egg office is an absolute diamond. He is a very hard working lad who is practicing the SEO arts he is learning with his Video Game Review site.

Lawrence Job who came to me last year from St Andrews Boys School was also an absolute credit. I would recommend Lawrence to any digital business and said as much on the Fresh Egg Blog last year.

The real cost of arrogance

But then you get a bad apple who ruins it for everyone; and now as a result of our bad experience,  our visitor has cost future visits from children who would have relished working with such an accomplished and dedicated team.

Paying for your mistakes

Now I am no angel and I have pulled some stunts in my time, but ultimately I usually paid for my childhood misdemeanors, but twenty years on, it really does seem that many school children really do think the world owes them a favour.

You may think I am being sensitive – but you cannot go round calling people Nazi’s, it may be ok in the playground, but it is not ok in the workplace.