Marketing Communications Review

I have totally enjoyed my placement year, I felt comfortable in the work environment and there was support available to help me settle in. My colleagues in the marketing team have made an effort to help me integrate in the team, enjoy my time here and feel like a valued member of the team. My professional and personal development has also been supported at Cummins by my manager, the team and the HR department.

I was always treated as a full time employee and never felt like my opinion didn't count because I am a placement student. I felt like I was contributing to the team, I got given full responsibility for my project and also full credit for the work I have completed.

My manager has been supportive and easy to approach. He understood my need to receive more guidance in completing the tasks at the beginning of the placement as all the processes and people were new to me. He has also encouraged me to then take ownership of my projects, work independently when needed and look for alternatives before stating there is a problem.

During my placement I had continuous projects that kept me busy permanently, my work plan was well organised and I was used to support other teams when work volume was down for mine. There were pick times when I was extremely busy and worked to tight deadline but preparation in advance helped me succeed.

I got given a lot of responsibility from day one, managing important events for the segment I was working one. This meant managing the project from the planning stage throughout the implementation, finishing with the evaluation stage. I also got given responsibility for budget management and forecasting which involved working with huge sums of money at times.

The placement year has given me the opportunity to apply theory learnt at university which will support the rest of my studies, with an ability to see things from a more practical perspective.. I have received training for project management, team work and communications, essential skills that employers value in the work places.

I worked in a very fun team, with a friendly and relaxed manager that tried to make us have a good time at work everyday. The atmosphere was maintained throughout difficult times which helped me not get stressed, be constantly engaged, enjoy my time at work and therefore be more productive.

The placement scheme here at Cummins is well set up, with the HR department looking after the placement students, supporting their development and organising training for them. We were also exposed to opportunities to get involved in activities outside our work plan to enhance our skills, social activities and community involvement.

I completed 4 compulsory training modules: Communication, Team work, Customer Care and Adapting to a professional business environment. I also completed training on project management, product training to familiarise myself with the big range of products Cummins manufactures. As the company went through a lot of changes during my time here, I received training on how to better manage change.

The company offers a bursary award at the end of the placement year which requires placement student to submit a personal statement, give a presentation and attend an interview with a panel of senior members of the company. This is cumulated with the managers' feedback and the 3 winners receive a prize in money and a potential job offer which stimulates placements to perform well and earn a graduate job with the company.