Project Planner - Placement student Review

I really enjoyed working at JLR and thought as a placement student it was a great way to gain insight into the company and the industry before finishing my degree. The tasks that I were given were not mundane and I was given a good level of responsibility. Being trusted to carry out a certain level of work was very rewarding and encouraged me to perform to a higher standard.

As mentioned, I was given a good level of responsibility within the team, meaning that my value to the team during my placement was realised. Due to staff holidays and rearrangements, I felt that I quickly became an important person within the team and was not viewed as just a placement student, but a member of the department.

Those I worked with throughout my placement were always willing to help and offer information that would allow me to progress with my tasks. When given an important task due to a team absence, the support offered was very welcome and I knew that if I needed any help then I could just ask and help would be given. Regular 1:1s with my supervisor were helpful in tracking my progress and seeing how I could further improve and where my strengths lay.

From the start of my placement I always had work to be getting on with, I always work best when I'm busy and have a list of tasks to complete. I felt like I could ask for more work and responsibility when ready for it. When I was given the opportunity to work in a different department for experience my work load was not as high due to the technical knowledge required to fulfil tasks being above my existing knowledge. Having said this, it gave me a great opportunity to learn and encouraged me to work to understand all problems.

As mentioned previously, I was given a great deal of responsibility during my placement considering the short time that I was there. This was very encouraging and I loved feeling like I was an integral part of the team. It allowed me to grow and expand my knowledge.

I believe that there is only a certain amount that you can be taught at university before progressing into work in the industry. Having a placement opportunity with high levels of responsibility and a requirement to learn quickly helps to develop skills that are not touched on so much during a degree. Having professional experience is vital to preparing yourself to the world of work and my placement at JLR allowed me to have this. The work ethic from industry is also a great benefit as this can be carried on through to finish my degree and work harder.

In general the atmosphere in my office was focused due to the work that was required and the managers that also sat within the area. Having said this it was not dull, it was a good atmosphere for productive work. Everyone around was also very friendly and willing to help and so having conversations was common.

Although assigned to a particular department, my manager was willing to organise a mini placement in a different area to give me a greater insight into engineering at JLR. This was great for my personal development as it allowed me to sit in a role that was a bit more technical and that linked more strongly to my degree course. Skills from this role have already benefited me in my final year of study.

I would love to go back to work for JLR, it is one of the top rated grad schemes in the UK and offers great learning opportunities and experience. Working there allowed me to see a bit closer how the grad scheme works. The idea of rotating departments for 3 month placements across the company is very appealing as I am not yet ready to commit myself to one department area. I would recommend the company to anyone looking to go into that industry.

The midlands isn't too expensive and as the sites I worked at were both near universities, the cost of living wasn't too high.

Corporate Social Responsibility is something that JLR take part in and involves spending a working day volunteering at a chosen charity. This was something that I helped in the organisation of for my home department. There is also the learning scheme at the company where each employee is given a set amount towards an experience outside of work. This could be a LandRover driving experience, sky diving, a language, driving lessons etc. Although I didn't make full use of this it is available to placement students and is a great way to get involved outside of work.