Welcoming Lavanya Pinchabaduge back with us!

At Coinadrink, we’ve always believed that people are at the heart of what we do. Whether it’s our customers, our partners, or our own colleagues, relationships matter. And one of the ways we nurture that belief is by supporting young people as they begin to explore their future careers.

This summer, we were delighted to welcome back 17-year-old Lavanya Pinchabaduge, who had first joined us on work experience in July. Keen to return, she spent part of her school holidays with our sales and marketing team, building on the skills and interests she discovered the first time around.

It’s always a pleasure to see young people eager to learn more, and we were thrilled to have Lavanya back. Before she left, our marketing team sat down with her to hear about her experiences and the lessons she’ll take with her.

Discovering new strengths

During her first placement, Lavanya was open to trying different areas of the business, and she quickly learned something valuable:

“I discovered that I don’t have to be perfect to be good at something – I just need to start! With practice, I know I will improve. I also found that I’m especially interested in financial management and marketing, and that I have a talent for content creation and video editing.”

It’s a sentiment we can all relate to. Growth doesn’t come from waiting until everything feels perfect, it comes from diving in, giving it a go, and learning along the way.

Why sales and marketing?

When she returned in August, Lavanya knew where she wanted to focus her time.

“I wanted to learn more about sales and marketing because they are so important to a business. I wanted to understand how to attract and retain customers, build trust, and manage those relationships effectively. That’s why I chose to spend my voluntary placement focusing on these areas.”

Her curiosity and willingness to deepen her knowledge really shone through, and she wasted no time in getting stuck into meaningful tasks.

Work that makes a difference

So, what did Lavanya enjoy most?

“I really enjoyed working on social media management, email marketing, and creating the digital advertising for our micro markets. I also realised that blog posts are a key part of marketing, they help build trust and loyalty with customers, and I enjoyed writing a few.”

Marketing is about more than just promotion, it’s about communication, trust, and creativity. And Lavanya quickly saw how the work she was doing played into those bigger goals.

Preparing for the future

Even though Lavanya is still exploring her career options, she sees her time with us as an important step forward.

“Even though I’m still deciding on my career, this placement has helped me develop skills like communication, adaptability, problem-solving, teamwork, critical thinking, and a strong work ethic. I also see it as pre-training that’s preparing me for professional life.”

These transferable skills are things she’ll carry with her wherever her path leads next, and we’re proud to have played a part in helping her develop them.

Advice for other students

Lavanya also had some words of encouragement for other students who might be unsure about their next steps:

“I would say: think about the subjects or areas you enjoy and try to get work experience in those fields. For example, if you like business, economics, or maths, look for roles linked to those subjects. It helps you discover what you enjoy and whether you might want to explore something else.”

Wise words that echo what we’ve always believed: experience in a real working environment is one of the best ways to discover your strengths, passions, and future direction.

Why this matters at Coinadrink

Lavanya’s story is just one example of our commitment to supporting young people. For us, work experience is never just a box-ticking exercise. It’s about giving students the chance to explore, grow, and see how their skills might fit into the real world.

Over the years, many of our colleagues have started their careers with us through work experience, even some of our management team first joined when they were still at school.

That’s something we’re incredibly proud of, because, ultimately, it’s about people. Helping them develop, discover their passions, and gain the confidence they need to take the next step.

From all of us at Coinadrink, a huge thank you to Lavanya for her hard work during her recent placement. It was wonderful to have her back, and we can’t wait to see where her journey takes her next.

01922 640777

sales@coinadrink.co.uk