Management Trainee Placement

Isobel Finch

Business

Placement (10 Months+)

Enterprise Mobility

Describe your role and what it entails:

My role as a Management Intern at Enterprise involves managing and organising logistics relating to vehicle rental and transportation solutions. Within this is key business skills such as customer service, revenue management and leadership training. Every day is different and requires you to think on your feet, both as an individual and as part of a close-knit team. I work with retail, insurance and corporate customers, making sure every customer is completely satisfied with their rental experience. Business management is an essential part of my day-to-day role, this involves increasing the branch revenue and reducing costs.

What have been your highlights?

During this year I have worked at both Birmingham Airport and Sheldon branches. I have achieved all my goals that I had initially set for myself: hitting the top performers club (top 20 out of 600 employees for sales); being nominated for employee of the month (twice); winning multiple Area Sales and Service Competitions and completing my Management Qualification Interview within eight months with a score of 93%. This means that I have been able to secure part-time work whilst I complete my final year of university, and hopefully be promoted to a management position after I graduate.

What has surprised you the most amount working at Enterprise?

I have been pleasantly surprised by how much working at Enterprise has enabled my confidence to grow. I have become a far more reflective practitioner, who is able to be resourceful both as an individual and as part of different teams. I have been surprised by how much fun I have had with the people that I have got to know including both customers and employees. Working as part of a diverse and positive community has been both rewarding and inspiring.

What have you learnt from your experience in the role?

I have developed my relentlessly bothered attitude this year, and the importance of always caring about every interaction you have in the workplace. I have developed my communication skills, sales techniques and problem-solving abilities, all skills that have enabled me to create solid long-lasting relationships. I have learnt the importance of being understanding of the needs of customers and tailoring my sales pitch to adapt to everyone. My interpersonal skills have grown massively – this has enabled me to train new employees and recruit new graduates at University Careers Fairs.

How would you describe the culture at Enterprise?

The culture at Enterprise is such a positive and supportive one! My managers and colleagues were there to help with every question I had, particularly at the start! I have been able to give back the support I was given to new employees; for example, at the Area Women’s Focus Group which I helped set up. Enterprise is a truly equitable, diverse and inclusive place to work. Enterprise are committed to supporting charities – I had the opportunity to be involved with fundraising and promotion of BBC Children in Need. I was also able to donate to a charity of personal importance to me through the Enterprise Foundation – this shows how much Enterprise care not only about their customers and employees, but also the wider community they serve.