Communications Assistant Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my year at Renault UK - looking back I can certainly say I got a lot out of the year and had a lot of fun at the same time. The role was one that I could make my own and get involved with different things whilst having a set of core responsibilities to look after too.

I really felt that I was an important part of the team and the company as well. I had a strong impression that my team valued my contribution to the team's output, with regular feedback. Also, there is a feel within the company as a whole that industrial placement students are trusted and respected by all, which shows in the level of tasks I was trusted to take on.

I had regular and planned one-to-one meetings with my line manager, and he was also available throughout the day (around meetings/engagements of course) to help with anything I needed. We were able to build a good collaborative working relationship where I could produce documents, presentations, and required information through repeated communication and editing to get the best results.

Throughout the year my workload increased as I learned more about the function of the department and the industry it operated in. This was as a result of the trust my line manager and colleagues put in me and the opportunities they gave me to broaden my learning and involvement within the team, which made for a great learning experience overall.

I felt trusted with a lot of responsibility. I regularly worked with senior managers and directors on certain projects, and co-ordinated certain aspects of very important functions, such as being the main administrator of the press information website. It is certainly an environment and team that will give you the responsibility you desire if you can show you deserve it.

The skills I developed from my year in industry have helped my final year degree studies, in terms of the attention to detail and conciseness that was required when providing information to media contacts, as there was no margin for error. Looking past university, all the core skills you would expect to need in the workplace develop, as you are treated like a regular employee and have the chance to get involved.

The atmosphere in the office was really positive - a great balance of seriousness and fun. You could tell people were happy to be working for the company and there was a sense of togetherness, backed up with the monthly Town Hall meetings that the whole company attended.

We had a welcome briefing on the first day that introduced us to the company in greater detail, and you receive a three-week handover period from your predecessor, which really gives you a strong head-start and gets you up to speed. There were specific activities scheduled in by HR during this period too, ranging from specific Microsoft Office program training to an enjoyable day out at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the first week! We also had an initial target meeting, 6-month and end-of-year appraisal with our line managers to ensure we made the most out of our time at Renault.

On the recommendation of my line manager, I attended two training courses - a one-day "Introduction to PR" and a three-day "Introduction to Journalism" course at the London School of Economics. Renault fully-funded both, including attendance and travel costs, which I was very impressed with. This was on top of in house training in all Microsoft Office software and the arranged appraisals to ensure targets are set and development occurs. I would say that if there is a training opportunity out of house, Renault would be very willing to explore the opportunity and happy to fund and help if it is worthwhile for future development.

There are three Graduate Development programmes at Renault, one of which, the Retail stream, a 2-year rotational scheme through departments such as sales, product marketing, network quality, plus a field placement as an area manager for the dealer network, I will be returning to Renault to undertake. I believe that you have the opportunity during the placement year to prove you can be a worthwhile addition to the Graduate programme cycle. Also, many graduates in the company are now in senior positions and some even abroad in places including Renault's global HQ in Paris.

The social scene was brilliant. With a placement student community of around 15 plus young Graduates, we often got together and socialised after work and at weekends, whether it be going to the pub for the evening or even as a large group to Budapest for a long weekend.

The cost was reasonable, and there is plenty of choice where to live according to your budget. I lived in Rickmansworth, a 5-minute commute from the office and paid £475 excluding bills for a very nicely fully-furnished 4-bed house along with three other interns. However, cheaper houses/rooms can be found depending whether you head closer into London or not. Socialising was also reasonable cost-wise, more expensive than that of a Students - but the salary helps with that, making it no problem.

The nightlife was great, as there were plenty of options if you wanted to go out. Rickmansworth had a few decent pubs, and Watford was only a 10 minute taxi journey away if you wanted to go to bars and clubs. Also, Rickmansworth had a tube station, so we sometimes ventured into central London for a change of scenery, so I'd recommend considering tube links when deciding where to live.

In terms of extra activities through Renault, there was a serious wealth of opportunities to experience more than just office work. As part of my role, I attended car launches, car media test days, car enthusiast shows and helped to host journalists at hospitality events including Renault's executive box at Arsenal FC to name a few. On top of this, Renault offers many event-based perks to its employees through its various links and sponsorship deals, which interns have a chance to participate in too. I ran the 2015 London Marathon as part of Team Renault and I got tickets to watch the recording of The Jonathan Ross Show and A League of their Own to name a few. To summarise, on top of an excellent role that you have the chance to get a lot out of, you will also come away with some great memories and experiences that you may not have had the chance to experience otherwise.