Digital Marketing Promotions Executive Review

I have really enjoyed my placement year at Avis Budget Group. On beginning the 12 month scheme, everyone was warm and welcoming which enabled me to settle into my role quickly. During this time, everyone is happy to help and answer questions as well as involve you in important meetings and discussions. I get on with all the other placement students who are also in this process. We try to organize time outside of the workplace in order to socialize. In addition, the work environment is pleasant. There is a good balance of being quiet enough to concentrate and get work done quickly and efficiently as well as being open plan and sociable.

Within my role, I distribute reports and information internally which is important for colleagues in different departments to access as well as being involved in meetings for strategic development and ideas. Any ideas or suggestions within these meetings are not dismissed, managers and colleagues take your views on board, especially if it means that processes and developments improve. In addition, a lot of meetings are held outside of the office, of which I get invited to so I am able to liaise with people from different companies who also value the work which I do.

I have weekly 1-2-1 sessions with my manager as a chance to state what I have planned for the week and raise any concerns. This session is particularly useful for busy times because work and meetings can get full on so time aside to talk through tasks is very beneficial. It also means I am able to be confident in the work I am producing as well as manage activities as best I can in order to deliver. In addition, managers sit closely with their team so I am able to ask questions and get work checked throughout the week, and also I am able to approach other managers in different departments easily when working with them on projects.

I always have something to do. I have my daily tasks which I have to complete such as distributing reports, briefing agencies, keeping databases up to date etc, but I also get involved with projects which take place throughout the year. This means that not every day is the same, I always have something new to work on for different promotional campaigns. This is very rewarding when you get to see your work live and can be stressful at times to meet deadlines but managers are very supportive and are aware of workload so that they make the experience enjoyable and fulfilling. However, if you feel that you could take on more work then they are happy to give you more to work on!

Throughout my placement I was given more responsibility than I initially thought I would get being a student. I am treated as a full time employee of which I am expected to perform and manage different tasks effectively. The benefits on receiving responsibility is that you can learn from it and the experience you get being on a placement reflects what it will be like when you finish uni and get a full time job in the area you wish to pursue. Doing a degree involving management means that this is perfect in order to manage my time as well as others to give me a better outlook and improvement personally. In addition, having to liaise with different businesses externally, you build up your network which widens opportunities in the future.

This placement role has been directly beneficial to my degree. I have been able to witness first hand how a global business works as well as gain hands on and transferable skills in marketing. In addition, my general work presence has improved dramatically through working in a corporate environment as well as presenting myself externally as a representative of Avis. The knowledge and insight I have been able to gain is tremendous. I have been fortunate enough to be involved in looking at exciting new advances in technology for delivering messages to customers as well as improvements in processes internally.

The office is a nice space to work in. It has been recently renovated to give a more modern and open plan feel. This makes it easier to approach colleagues and is a more social environment. In addition, there are new meeting rooms which can be easily booked if a separate space is needed which are kitted with large TVs to connect your computers as well as telephones to dial out of the office to speak to individuals externally. Also, the kitchen is modern which you are welcome to help yourself to teas and coffees as well as access to a vending machine. Therefore, the overall feel of the office space is very pleasant to work in. There is also a cafeteria where you can buy coffee, snacks and food- meetings are also often held here for a more informal chat.

The placement was set up well. HR were in frequent contact leading up to the placement making sure that everything was in order and in place. They were helpful for any questions you have and are quick on responding. The first initial period of the placement is for Handover from the previous placement student. I received a schedule which contained the activities of the week so I had an overall outlook of what I was going to be doing which helped me feel more comfortable. In addition to this, I had help setting up email, documents etc and the IT department are good at making sure you're able to access everything you need. Generally everything was a smooth process and I was able to settle in nicely.

I am very fortunate to be able to attend workshops within Avis Budget Group as well as at agencies which we work with. The work shops range from basic training for Microsoft office to more technical and specialist subjects. My manager is very encouraging of my personal development and suggests workshops which may not be relevant directly to my role but will help me in the future and is good knowledge to have. In addition, if there are conferences being held which I think would be interesting, I am encouraged to go. Therefore, Avis do invest into their placement students and we definitely get a lot of opportunities for personal development. Everything which I learn from these experiences will help me with my degree as well as give me an advantage when applying and working in other environments.

Avis Budget Group is a nice company to work for and I enjoy working for them. As a full time employee, the perks of being with Avis increases so that is one factor which is appealing. In addition, there are often opportunities to develop within the company, allowing you to progress further and take on more responsibility. They definitely invest in their employees as well which makes it an enjoyable place to work, and they also take an interest in your well-being.

Every 3 months, we have team days. Managers usually organize a fun event during the week which the whole team take part in. For example, one of the team days which I took part in was a trip to Go Ape. This was a brilliant idea as it is a change for you to socialize outside of work with colleagues as well as get to know your managers more. It takes the pressures of working off and it's generally a good day out. In addition to this, we also have Summer Balls and Christmas Parties where the whole organisation get together and are able to socialize outside work. This is a good opportunity to be able to chat with people from different departments. The benefits of these social events are that it makes it easier to approach colleagues in the work place because you've had a chance to get to know one another better.

Bracknell is a cheap area to live but I decided to live in Reading because there is more to offer/do. Therefore, for me to live in Reading was quite expensive in comparison. Generally, the socializing for work events are outside of Bracknell in surrounding areas. However, when socializing as placement students, we stick to Bracknell because everything is in walking distance. Currently, the town center is going through a regeneration project where new shops, restaurants etc are being build so this should all improve next year!

Bracknell is not good for going out- there are a few pubs where you can go to socialize but generally it's pretty poor if you're looking for a good night out. However, 20 minutes on the train is Reading where the night life is a lot better being a student town with Reading University. There are a lot of bars, clubs and pubs which have a good atmosphere. Also, the shopping center is usually open later than other shops so you can go shopping after work if you need to with plenty of time to browse.

Bracknell is on the London Waterloo line so it is easy to get into London. I regularly go into the capital for meetings of which I can get involved in workshops as previously mentioned. For non-work related activities, there are definitely endless activities which you could do. Being close to London is nice if you want to spend the day there as it is easy to get back and doesn't take up too much time. There is also a high-speed train from Reading which takes you directly to Paddington. Within Bracknell, there are Gyms and Sports clubs which you can get involved with and I'm sure there are other types of clubs which you can get involved in.