Placement Trainee Review

It was enjoyable; I got to experience working life in London and how the world works from the perspective of a young adult in a commercial atmosphere. Tasks varied from day to day and I was able to expand and develop my own personal skills as well as the ones I honed for the specifics of the role.

I felt valued by my colleagues because they mostly consulted me and involved me with key decisions that we would make which were impactful to our direct project. They also took me aside at regular intervals to make sure that I understood and was kept in the flow of what was occurring on a weekly basis across all of the work that I was participating in.

I was given a decent amount of help and support at regular intervals to make sure that I understood what was going on in terms of technical knowledge and practical processes. I was also able to make the most of asking questions to my team as they were very open and happy to help at any time that I needed support, which was very beneficial to my learning.

On a daily basis I, for the most part, had a good amount of work to do which was always well managed by my team, in a way that if I ran out of work or had too much, I could always let someone know, and they would almost always be able to help and support me, by either giving me something extra to do, or taking something that I had off my hands so that I wasn't too busy and/or stressed.

In terms of responsibility, I was given an increasing amount over the course of my placement, starting at a small amount during the first period as I got to know my team, and increasing to a significant amount where instead of being reviewed daily and watched over, it came to a reporting system where I would let my team know of my progress on a weekly basis.

In terms of skills I have developed, working in a busy commercial office environment for a year definitely develops your technical knowledge of the subject in a real world basis, however important critical analytical skills, decision making, and time management skills that are learnt over the period will help massively not just in future studies, but also in future life and with any roles that I decide to take in the future.

The atmosphere in the office was generally upbeat and interesting, and you were always kept in the loop with anything that was going on after work, from a casual sandwich with a colleague at lunch time in the canteen, all the way to luxury drinks and meals with clients we worked with on projects, there was always something going on which you were able to look forward to.

The placement was fairly well organised, and people were fairly sure of what role they were going into before they started, in terms of sector and base location. We were also told who our direct report would be before we were started, so this helped for our first day, as well as a general induction day on the first day which got everyone used to Mace as a business.

We were given compulsory training sessions in a variety of subjects, ranging from a detailed safety brief from the company, to an asbestos awareness half day which made you feel valued and that the company really cares about its employees, and their safety in everything that they do, ranging from people working in offices, all the way to people who are on site day in day out.

Future employment prospects within the organisation are appealing because they give you the opportunity to receive sponsorship in your last year of University, and on your return back to the company when you graduate. Also, they offer a fast, hard work rewarding and attractive career progression system that gives gratitude to its employees that show a hard working motive.

There was a good social scene within the placement students, upon which we went on many social events together and had a chance to make friends that will not only be within the company but also outside as well. We also organised and participated in a group event solely ran by ourselves that helped raise money for charity, which we are indeed very proud of, through teamwork and fund raising.

The cost of living where I worked, London, was obviously very high compared to other areas of the country, however this comes with the obvious bonus of living in one of the most busy, vibrant and diverse cities in the world, so if you can make the most of it, the cost - socialising trade off is more than worth it. Plus there is almost always something going on, if not inside work then all over London, day in day out.

The nightlife in the area I worked was very good, we went on multiple different client organised drinks sessions, and also went on over 4 different Communications sessions with my sector, and also a very large Christmas party that was hosted at the Copperbox in the Olympic Stadium, which was a wonderful treat for all of the employees at the Mace organisation, and a great way to finish the year of 2015.

There were many opportunities to get involved in acitivities outside of work; from joining a band to compete in a competition for charity, to joining a football team to play against other rival business, and volunteering to work for charity, there is always something going on that you can get involved in. Also team events were organised fairly often, and there was always the opportunity to get out and about.