Business Systems Analyst Review

Throughout any life experience there will always be ups and downs. My enjoyment was very clear to not only myself but those around me in my team, And my visiting university staff. I was involved in a huge amount of opportunities that really stand out from just the day to day work. Even the day to day tasks still provided me with a huge amount of job satisfaction and real want to go back in for another week. I felt like I had real purpose with the company and that it was worth my while being there. Even at the down moments I wanted to work through and come out of them having shown what I could do and that determination that got me out of there. Outside of work there was plenty to do, and that alone is something that is partly responsible for helping me out of the lower times. Having so many placements and graduates around on campus means you can get involved in so much more. Whether its just people your age or others in the business they are friendly and treat you just like any other employee.

Initially you will feel lost and confused at your position. But I can assure you that as soon as your initial phases of understanding, learning and training die down. You get your name to something and will become valued very quickly. The team enjoy having an fresh set of eyes onto problems and solutions helping them think in different ways. Its really good for innovation too.

My supervisor was very trusting and allowed a great balance between hand holding and then letting us make our own mistakes. The learning process would not have been half as good if we had not been left to our own devices. My supervisor was brilliant in being available when you needed him, and that was a perfect balance. Meaning I could get answers to questions, or if not the answer a contact or person that would know. This really helped me build relations around the company not just internally in my own team and office

Balance is the key word. There were points where I was swamped and others where I didn't have much. But as soon as I raised this to a Project Manager or supervisor the workload was redistributed to make sure everyone had their fair share. This made things really easy to make sure that I did not go home stressed or by the same token drift off in to dream land because there was nothing to do.

I was given varying ranges of responsibility from being lead analyst on a project and delivering training to multiple users and sites. Essentially being the face of the team and the process. to being the project manager of projects. As well as supporting more experienced analysts on much bigger projects. I was able to take on things and offer my skill set to areas I was good at as well as given opportunities to take on roles that would assist where I was not so good.

I have learned so much more about skills that are often talked about in recruitment. My future study will definitely be influenced by the level of organisation that I have been able to achieve from being in a professional environment. Add to that the communication skills on multiple levels, from senior management right the way through to new placements and even teams overseas in many countries and time zones. I am much more flexible in how I can communicate written, verbally and through technology like teleprecense. The main thing of being in a work environment 9-5 has helped weather it be at the desk, grabbing a coffee in the canteen. My understanding of what my future career could be has really been expanded and will most definitely model the way I go about looking for work in the future.

Generally it was very happy and collaborative. Although working in a global team and people were often on the phone I was able to walk over to someone's desk and very quickly start a conversation or ask a question without worry of disturbing anyone. By the same token I was also able to get on with my work without noise disturbances from loud talkers or canteen chats etc. The dress code was relaxed half way through the placement and this really aided the atmosphere. A good work life balance was maintained, no one looking over your shoulder but always a focus on getting plenty of work done as well as having plenty of fun.

This varies by department but for myself the on boarding was very well organised. The handover from company on boarding to specific department happened with in 3 days With a focus to getting us ready to be almost normal employees. While some placements follow a strict plan the nature of the work is such that we were on a path to be treated as equals rather than box ticking. This is hard to explain but in basic terms we had everything we needed to get started and then when we arrived actually on the day we were suitably equipped with IT and desk equipment to be able to get learning and up to speed with everyone else.

From the first few weeks we were heavily invest in, on boarding us in to project management processes, change process. Not to mention the regular learning that the company ensures we do. This helps us stay up to date with the best practices. furthermore we were engaged in lean training which is based on the fundamentals of six sigma and the 5s principles. Something that I thought at first only applied in manufacturing but can actually be applied to the office space too. We were taken out on a two day requirements elicitation and writing course. This not only helped with meeting some of the team and sharing experiences from their careers in the field but also our university experiences as it had been a while since they attended. If ever we needed some time to go trough something people would always offer, taking time out of their day to make sure that we had the best training and information possible to get us to the independent stage.

Pay, benefits and job prospects are all very attractive to me. Weather the opportunity will arise is still unclear. However it seems very clear that if the opportunity does knock they are ones to keep talent that they have invested in and not just use students and graduates as cheap labour. This would be a big decisive factor in my choice of career

Because everyone can end up living far apart you have to be willing to travel to socialise. Which is not too bad as you are earning money to be able to afford it. On site and in work you do have to be willing to make the effort if you are put in one of the departments that is in its own office space rather than some of the more shared spaces. Lunch times etc take a slight bir more co ordination if you have a 15min walk from your desk location to the canteen or to meet up with other placements. Still, Facebook is a wonderful thing and not to mention the Young people initiative which organise plenty of events and put htem straight into your e-mail calendar and allow you to network with your peers and grads who are no longer grads!

This depends very much on your expectations. Those who are coming from living in a university city or at home, prepare for a shock. Those from London may be quite surprised. Peterborough is a fairly priced city and although it does have a university things are still pretty pricey. Accommodation can cost anywhere from £300 to £500 and more if you like luxury. Taxis are pretty good most offering standard rate cards to places outside of the city. Most people would not pay more than £5 for a taxi to or from town, those out a bit further like myself it is about £7. As for living there is a range of supermarkets and plenty of Aldi's to keep the food bills low. along with a B&M and the Range for any other bits of décor or furnishing that you may fancy again they are good for keeping costs down. The Serpentine has a Tesco superstore and a fair few other branded clothing and food outlets. If you live in or near Hampton it is well worth a visit. Although a 24 hour Tesco is useful, it does come with the added price tag that you don't get at aldi if you are trying to live and save. Drinks are pretty expensive but all down to where you go. There are 2 wetherspoons in town as well as a "superclub" and plenty of bars weather its cocktails, sport, music or other entertainment you are after you will find everything you need at fairly manageable prices. The average pint around the £3.80 to £6 mark depending on where you go.

Nightlife was pretty varied and depends on what you are into. Pub quizzes, big club nights, quiet drinks and meals out are all fairly well catered for. Expect plenty of well known brands such as yates o neils wetherspoons, prezzo, nandos and even flares! Peterborough does get very busy at night time and there are always plenty of Friday night revellers around. if it is your thing then you will really enjoy it no doubt, however there is much to be said about the real ale scene and pubs out of town. My personal favourite has to be the Peterborough beer festival. A brilliant event held on the embankment in warm marquees, all sorts of beers, wines, ciders, and even the odd spirit to try. Full of food stands, a fun fair and a good selection of live music. Proved to be a really good event and even bumped in to some of my team which really helped us bond and get to know one and other.

Not as many as I would have liked, but then you are on placement to work! There were always plenty of offers for events that had been organised by the young persons of caterpillar, but also invitations come your way from friends, people who work with friends. There are regular office and friends gatherings, badminton, basketball, football, squash, ping pong, Bowling, pub crawls, car treasure hunts, laser quest, quad biking days. Pretty much anything you can think of someone else will want to get involved with. The company also gets involved with STEM in schools, so you get the opportunity to help and go out of work and do something different than the day to day. which was really rewarding and enjoyable, although also very difficult to assist in coaching a group of youngsters in either secondary or primary education.