Undergraduate Trainee Premium Consumer Product Auditor Review

I enjoyed my placement as I got to work first hand with customers' vehicles and directly effect the quality of JLR products.

I was given responsibilities close to that of a full time employee apart from where my age and the length of my time there limited what I could do in terms of insurance and driving certain vehicles. I was often asked for help with things but also given my own tasks which were the same as the other employees and not menial.

Support was good and management were always interested in how I was getting on and what I thought of the work and business.

The work load for my department during the time I was there was in fits and starts due to changes in the production. Because of this there were times when there was very little to do for everyone but others where everyone was rushed off their feet which for me was good as I could assist the others in tasks that needed doing but if one person preps all of the cars whilst the others start the work, the process is sped up.

I was given a license to drive the production vehicles within the first couple of weeks and so after that I could perform the job of a full auditor, from collecting a car from production, auditing the car, road test the car, and then return to production. During my time there I found several calls myself for which I was congratulated and the others were impressed and happy for me.

Due to the nature of the department I was placed in I do not feel that I gained much that related to my studies but it has helped me in the process of transitioning to work and that not all roles require engineering insight but having the background in mechanical engineering and cars helped me slot into the role whereas others might have taken longer to get the hang of it.

The atmosphere was friendly and welcoming with everyone willing to talk and chat with me and let me into their groups. I could ask anyone for a hand and they would either help or tell me someone who could. This atmosphere greatly contributed to my enjoyment of the placement and is one of the main reasons it has helped me going forward as it has made me feel more confident that I can fit into a working environment.

The placement ran smoothly but there were times where both my supervisor and manager were in the dark about what they and I were supposed to do, however, they did their most to show me as much of the company as they could along with others who showed me around the plant and gave me insight into other roles and how they all impact on the final product.

Mid way through the placement we underwent a personal review process by ourselves and later with our managers. This allowed us to see what we had learned and how we had changed in our roles since arriving. This also worked into assessment for graduate roles. There was online training available to us on the computer system but no other training was available due to long waiting lists.

I would be happy to work for Jaguar Land Rover and am waiting for a job offer after undergoing assessment at the end of the placement. It is a big time for the company with lots of expansion prospects and so the chance to work for them at this time is exciting but also risky and so I am also looking to other companies and industries as well to see other prospects.

The social scene at our placement local was good but only because we made it. There were events planned but all of these were over an hour drive away and so next to useless for us. There were 8 of us who had houses near each other and so we met up most nights of the week to socialise but this was totally off our own backs and there were placement students at our plant who I never met.

Cost of living in the midlands was good. There were free workers car parks near the plant and working hours were outside of rush hour so commuting was effortless by car and was also doable by foot or public transport if needed. There was a large supermarket opposite the factory as well which provided easy access to food after work.

Did not go out in my time on placement and every weekend went back to uni or home.

Nothing from the company side but there were clubs in the local area. Two of the people I lived with went to the local tennis club and gym. It was also easy to get into central Birmingham by train cheaply so there was plenty to do if you wanted to.