Recently, we welcomed Edd to the Carterwood team as an intern. Working closely with our data team, he’s gained valuable insight into the sector and contributed to some of our core analytical projects.
Below, he reflects on his experience and what he’s learned during his time with us.
For the last 10 months of my gap year, I’ve worked at Carterwood as an intern, handling a variety of data engineering projects. These included creating databases and supporting the team with research deadlines.
From the moment I started at Carterwood, it was clear that the values instilled in the company were reflected in the people who worked here. Values like “do it right” and “never stand still” foster a culture of efficiency and accuracy that I hadn’t experienced before.
My personal favourite is “be brave”— a value Carterwood truly embodies. Whether in one-to-one meetings or large quarterly gatherings, everyone has an equal voice, from the managing director to the 19-year-old intern (me!). In a work world where that isn’t always the case, this is incredibly refreshing.
Carterwood’s focus on progress and growth is evident in everything they do. Whether through market-disrupting research or innovative data presentation tools like CAP, there’s a clear goal: getting things done.
My role within this ecosystem involved building proprietary datasets, including pioneering research on supported living branches, as well as Spanish and specialist care homes. While my responsibilities might seem small on paper, in practice, I never stood still. I was always busy, whether that was researching 100s of care homes a day, or making tea for the big meeting – I was never bored!
The structure of Carterwood allows everyone to help lead a project, including me. Having an initial understanding of supported living structures led me to help our team complete the dataset on our supported living project, which wouldn’t have happened had I worked for a larger company.
As someone with dyslexia, the care and support Carterwood has provided went above and beyond. The entire team was incredibly accommodating and helped me identify and correct mistakes before they became a problem. This made me feel included and gave me zero shame in my mistakes.
I’ve been able to develop my skills significantly during my time here, whether through the collection, processing or analysis of data, or basic Excel skills – the range has been incredibly useful. Furthermore, learning how different branches in a company and management work has all been useful in my journey at the beginning of my career.
Before Carterwood, I really struggled with reaching deadlines on both small and large-scale projects, but during my time here, I’ve been able to grow not only in my skills of data research but also in myself as a person. Working in an environment as friendly and welcoming as Carterwood really allowed me to fill my shoes.
A huge thank you to Caterwood for creating such a welcoming environment and allowing me to be a part of it.
If you’re interested in careers at Carterwood, find out more about us.
