Product Management Intern Review

I really enjoyed working for Eaton and gaining real business experience, which was my main aim for my placement year. Eaton has a manufacturing plant in Cwmbran and I was based there. Everyone was extremely welcoming and friendly and I developed good working relationships with everyone in the office. I have learnt a large number of transferable skills throughout the year which I wouldn't have gained from University. I was given real tasks and projects which added value to the business, providing me with a real insight into the world of business. Eaton value the internship programme hugely and provided us with ten training days during the year which were very useful. Although it is not an industry I would like to pursue, the skills I have learnt are invaluable and are transferable for my future career.

I definitely felt valued during my time with Eaton, I was always asked for my opinion on projects or how to increase efficiency with current processes. I found it hard at the beginning to be assertive with senior managers but that was due to coming from a University environment. As my skills developed, I was given more and more responsibility and I felt my contribution was always valued.

I had one to one meetings with my direct line manager every week, where we would discuss my tasks and projects. I also gained feedback on my skills and what I could improve on. These sessions were very helpful in ensuring I developed throughout the year. The Human Resources team have also been very supportive and provided me with advice on how to deal with situations and overcome any issues which arose.

No two days were the same on my placement year. I had a number of daily tasks including managing the front end of the engineering work request process, website management, supporting approvals, customer requests (e.g. brochures and images), market research (e.g. competitor comparisons) and supporting internal communications (e.g. writing the internal newsletter and being a member of the wellness team). I was also assigned a number of different projects throughout the year, and I was able to take on more and more when my manager knew I could handle the increase in work load. I have had the opportunity to work with a number of different departments throughout the year, providing me with great exposure, and I was set tasks by a number of different stake holders.

I was given a large amount of responsibility during the placement, and my manager trusted me which enabled her to pass on tasks to me without providing instruction. I was given the responsibility of managing the launch of a new industrial sounder - I had to organise the pricing, the promotional aspect of the launch, sales presentations, checking new product and box labels and ensuring they aligned with Eaton brand standards, creating sales forecasts and ensuring all stake holders were up to date on the timeline and deadline of the project.

I will be going back to University in a few months time and I know the skills I have developed throughout the course of this year will be transferable and aid my final year studies. My time management and organisation skills have improved hugely and will definitely help benefit my final year studies. I have learnt how to prioritise work in accordance to importance and urgency. My problem solving skills have improved vastly and this is the best key learning because it brings efficiency and less waste. I thought I had good communication skills already, but I have developed how to speak to senior employees across the business and this year has given me a great exposure. I have also learnt how to manage people and expectations which will be very useful in my future career.

Very friendly atmosphere in the office, it is quiet at times but that's beneficial to power through work. You can speak with anyone in the office including all the senior managers as they are happy to help and very welcoming. The occasional chat is fine but conversations which are not work related should be discussed during your lunch break.

Placement was very well organised with ten training days throughout the year. I completed four quarterly reports on my development, tasks and projects, this was then submitted to my manager so she could add her comments, and then sent to HR for review. The placement was organised well and all departments fully supported the internship programme. I also had two performance reviews with HR during the year to look at me progress.

Eaton definitely invested a huge amount of time and money into the internship programme. We were looked after very well throughout the placement year and there is the possibility of progressing on to the graduate scheme on completion of the internship. I have had the opportunity to network with a number of different people throughout the year and I have been given exposure to a number of different tasks and projects I never thought I would have previously.

Cwmbran is pretty cheap on the whole. I actually lived in Cardiff, so the commuting costs were more than most other interns who lived in Newport. Rent is low compared with other cities and you can socialise pretty cheaply as well. There are a number of shops about a 5 minute drive from work which meant it was easy to get to a supermarket for lunch.