Product Assistant Review

I have loved my placement year at TUI! It has been such a good year, with so many opportunities to develop myself, and also a great social element too. I've been working in the Product department which is really exciting, no day is ever the same which is something I have really enjoyed. The company is really fun and definitely somewhere I would like to come back to in the future.

I felt very valued in the team I worked in, the role you have is exactly the same as any other member of the team, so you have the same responsibilities. This can be scary at first but everyone is so welcoming and happy to help, you soon feel completely integrated into the team.

Due to some changes in the team I have had three managers across the year however each one has been completely supportive of me, always happy to help and offer me opportunities to develop further. We had weekly 1:1's to discuss workload, and also specific 1:1's just for development, which was really useful. As well as your line manager we also have the Placement team, who hold monthly meetings to discuss the scheme and any concerns we may have. This year I have also had a buddy and a mentor, both from other departments who have been amazing! As you can tell there is no lack of support, and always someone to talk to!

How busy I was varied from day to day, some periods were really busy, whereas others were a little more relaxed. As the year went on I got better at managing the busy times, so although there is a lot to do, it never feels impossible or unmanageable in your working hours. It has been nice to keep busy as there is never a dull moment with nothing to do.

The role you have on your placement year at TUI is the same as a full time member of the team, so you don't just get the boring jobs! The high level of responsibility you are given also means you have some amazing opportunities to present your work back to senior members of the team, something I don't think you would get the change to do with a lot of placements.

This year has been invaluable in how much it has helped me develop my skills. When you start you have a great training plan to settle you in to the business, but even following this there are training opportunities constantly coming up. I have improved skills such as Excel and presenting, which will be so helpful back at university as these are things I was previously not confident in.

The atmosphere in the office is really fun, with a very work hard play hard feel. Everyone is passionate about there job so will consistently work hard, but everyone is still friendly and chatty. There are lots of events that happen throughout the year which keep the environment fun, for example teams have regular nights out together, and also in work events such as rounder's and photo booths!

The placement scheme has been very well organised, there is a good structure at the start when you first arrive as you aren't just thrown in at the deep end. You have a three week training plan that allows you to get to know the job, you also shadow the previous placement for two of those weeks so you can see them doing the role first hand and learn from this. The placement team are always there if you need help, and the monthly meeting allow you to bring up any worries or concerns.

The company fully invest in your development, and you have the same opportunities as the rest of the team. Training sessions are run throughout the year, and you can sign up for anything that you feel will be useful to you. These include developmental sessions such as how to work smarter, but also sessions run by various departments within TUI, so you can learn how other areas operate.

I would love to come back to TUI following university. I have loved my year in Product but would also be really interested in experiencing other sides of the business, as there is so much going on here. If you want to return to the company it is encouraged and everyone is supportive. There is likely to be opportunities to come back into your department or into another if you want, there is also a graduate scheme you can apply for during your placement year.

There is a great social scene at TUI. Teams will often have nights out together, sometimes a meal out but often things like laser quest or trampolining - there's something for everyone. There is also company wide events such as summer and Christmas parties which are really fun and everyone goes. I've been on the Commercial Smiles team this year, who organise events for the commercial department. Since I've been here we have done rounder's, quiz nights and a bake off, just to name a few.

A perk of Luton is that it is very cheap to live in, while still having links to some really nice places such as St.Albans and London.

Luton doesn't have much to offer in the way of nightlife however 20 minutes on the train takes you to St. Albans where there is a lot more. Also people will go into London quite a lot for a bigger night out as trains to Luton run all night.

Although I was not a member this year I know there is a few work sports teams such as the TUI netball team. Everyone is welcome to get involved in these, whatever skill level. Individual departments also run lots of social events so there is always something going on.