AS Student, Victoria Hampton was given the opportunity to spend one week working with the Virgin Balloon Flights team to get a feel for how a successful business runs. Here's Victoria's story:

"It was a great week as I saw the hard work and dedication that goes into working at Virgin; the employees showed a great deal of commitment and a general interest in their jobs.

Upon arrival I was greeted by a very friendly atmosphere. The staff were very welcoming and cheerful, which put me at ease. Throughout the week I took part in a series of activities; it kept the job very interesting and fast pace.

One of the activities I took part in was going up in one of the big red Virgin Balloons! The Balloon flight from Shrewsbury was definitely one of the greatest moments of my life. Countless times I had to remind myself that once in the air, I was just floating in the sky in a basket! It was such a beautiful day, which made the landscape look as though it stretched for miles – I am extremely relieved I took my camera (see my lovely pictures below) and would definitely recommend Balloon flying to anybody!

After returning I had the chance to work with all of the departments. It gave me a great insight into all the different roles and jobs available at Virgin Balloon Flights. The task I was most proud of completing was creating a new Staff Induction pack which I hope will be of use to new starters in the future.

My week at Virgin Balloon flights was so much fun, and very inspirational. I can’t wait 'till I find a job where hopefully, the staff will be as kind as they are here!

Thank you so much to the Virgin Balloon Flights team – I hope we all cross ‘flight’ paths in the future."

Victoria Hampton (Guest Blogger)