Stacey Dooley on the life lessons in The Nine to Five

In the third series of The Nine to Five, Stacey Dooley introduces viewers to another group of young people taking their first footsteps into the world of work.

As the five teens try their hand at roles in workplaces as diverse as a car showroom and an oyster farm, their personalities have come to the fore just as much as their skillsets.

It gave Stacey the opportunity to observe the situations the Nine to Fivers - Sam, Tillie, Bakr, Layla and Ellie - find themselves in, and the lessons they take from it. Here’s a taster of what Stacey had to say.

Take the foot off the gas… sometimes

Sam showed off how competitive he could be when the group was sent to work at a car dealership. But that desire to be the first over the line was almost his undoing.

Stacey says: “At the car dealership, he was speeding around the forecourt doing his checklist and bosses were standing back watching in amazement. He decided too that he wanted to ‘win’ over his teammate.”

But as Sam moved through the different workplaces across the series, that ‘winning’ desire led to mistakes, some of which were costly to the businesses involved.

Stacey adds: “Some tasks take a lot of time to master and some races aren’t won by sprinting as fast as you can – developing successfully in the workplace is a long game!”

Step out of that comfort zone

As part of The Nine to Five, the teenagers involved can receive a payment equivalent to the national apprenticeship wage at the end of every shift. But it’s not guaranteed - their performance dictates how much money they pocket.

One person who learnt the hard way is Tillie. Keen on a future in politics, Tillie is used to sharing her opinions. However, she expressed concerns early on that this may be a problem in the workplace. She wanted to work on it - but it didn’t quite go to plan.

Stacey says: “She went too far the other way. She ended up not saying what she really thought at the car dealership when Bakr and Sam were playing drums on the bonnet of a £40k car.

“She went on to regret that at payday when her wages were docked too.”

Further experiences at the oyster farm and cheese factory saw Tillie involved in tasks more physical than she was used to. But after a stuttering start, she stepped away from her comfort zone and threw herself into the task at hand.

Make me be your leader

Stepping up to the plate for the first time can be daunting - and that’s what happened to Layla during The Nine to Five.

Prior to her different work experiences, Layla had never taken the lead in tasks, and often needed reassurance that she was doing a good job. However, bosses observing the teenagers at work could see that she had potential. Her leadership skills just needed a little coaxing.

“Bosses were so impressed with Layla that on her second day they asked her to become the team supervisor of a major group task,” says Stacey.

“The group now looked to her to be told what to do and suddenly there was no boss to hold her hand through it. She had to trust her own judgement.”

At first, Layla saw leadership as getting stuck in to a task herself. Then someone with more experience pointed out that delegating tasks was a big part of being a leader.

Stacey adds: “Once she understood that key difference, she took to supervising like a duck to water!”

Find your feet in your own way

When Ellie signed up for The Nine to Five, it wasn’t just about work experience. As a child, she had severe ME, an illness which prevented her from doing things so many of us take for granted, such as taking a shower or preparing a snack.

Ellie's health improved but she needed so much help from her family, especially her mum while she was unwell, she had become used to other people doing things for her. The Nine to Five was an opportunity to work at being independent.

Stacey explains: “Ellie came face-to-face with some hard situations and she wasn’t always confident that she could tackle it. But with a brief visit from mum to spur her along, Ellie realised that she didn’t have to transform into a completely independent adult overnight.”

Perfection is practically impossible

“It’s important to accept the little imperfect bumps that happen in the road,” says Stacey, “because they’re inevitable and you can learn a huge amount from them.”

This was a lesson learnt for Bakr, who always wanted to be the best version of himself in every task he took on. But if he didn’t get something right first time, he was tough on himself. During a shift at the cheese factory, his responsibilities for the day didn’t quite go according to plan. Bakr was disappointed in himself, it reflected in the way he spoke to his bosses and although they admired his honesty, it left him feeling guilty.

Stacey adds: “Speak up quietly before you reach a place where you feel uncomfortable. It’s absolutely fine to admit that you need help and no-one will mind, they will be pleased you talked to them about it.”