IT Analyst Review

This 12 month work placement has been a very enjoyable experience at a great company. I have had the chance to work alongside a wide variety of employees from different backgrounds and disciplines, gaining extensive exposure to bespoke IT systems and in-house applications that are used during day-to-day IT operations. It had been very interesting to gain a real world insight into the business environment.

My colleagues always set out to help and support me in any way possible, whether providing me with advice or demonstrating how an issue should be resolved. I always felt as though I could ask any questions or observe what they did as part of their own job role. This allowed me to undertake team projects and contribute to the overall success of the desktop support team.

My supervisor was always there on hand to assist me whenever I had a problem or required support when completing my work for university. My supervisor always bridged the gap and made me feel part of the team, introducing me to everyone when I started and holding monthly progress meetings to discuss issues. I was always encouraged to become involved with new activities and projects.

There was a good mix of quiet days where I could learn new skills and then apply the learning to more busy days. The placement in general has allowed me to become fully immersed in the IT desktop support role without ever being bored or overpowered with work. When the factory and most of the offices were on shutdown, my colleagues and supervisor always ensured that I had work to do, for example stock checks or system testing.

At first there was an emphasis on making sure I knew how to resolve issues that I had never encountered before, then I was sent away to troubleshoot problems myself. This allowed me to feel more confident when approaching tasks as I had enough knowledge to deal with them. During the second half of placement I was responsible for maintaining asset records and making updates when hardware was brought back into stock.

The skills that I have gained have made me more confident in the workplace and also more confident in my own ability. This means that I will apply myself more effectively to my studies and build a rapport with team members during university group projects. The IT systems that I worked with and the training that I received will make me more employable when applying for graduate roles. This placement will also aid my continuous development as I have identified areas to improve and build upon during my final year at university and full time employment.

The atmosphere was largely relaxed, particularly when there was less work to do. There was a large emphasis on making me feel comfortable in the work environment and encouraging me to ask questions even when we were busy. I found my colleagues to be very friendly and able to discuss interests outside of work which made relationship building easier.

The placement schedule was planned well in advance which allowed myself, my supervisor and my colleagues to know exactly what was happening each day throughout the year. This allowed me to plan ahead in terms of projects and always have enough work to do. I felt confident knowing that I was gaining a range of skills from pre-planned activities and responsibilities.

I accessed a range of training courses during my placement which allowed me to operate more effectively during my role. However, due to only being at the company for a year I didn't receive any specific personal training that was paid for, but I am aware that graduates are sent on additional courses.

Caterpillar makes every effort to bring back previous placement students, although this varies between each discipline and the demand for additional employees. Engineering students generally come back and join the graduate scheme, whilst for IT placement students it is mainly when an opportunity arises at one of the sites. I would personally take the offer of future employment at Caterpillar if I had the chance due to the skills and experience that can be gained.

My colleagues arranged frequent nights out, whilst my fellow placement students were always eager to meet up after work. This generated a great atmosphere around the office as we socialised outside of work and got to know each other in terms of hobbies and interests. This made me feel more confident when speaking to other students at work and asking colleagues for help, as I had got to know them really well.

The Caterpillar site is based on the outskirts of Leicester, so the accommodation was cheaper whilst I was only a short commute from the city centre. There were some good pubs and restaurants around the local area that were very affordable. I found this very enjoyable as some other placement students were living near me.

As I was living on the outskirts of the city, there were less opportunities in the local area due to being based in a small village. However, nightlife was very good in the city centre, which wasn't far from my accommodation. This allowed me to meet up with colleagues in the evenings as work was in between my accommodation and the city centre.

There was a wide range of activities to become involved in, for example a running club and a football team. I was also a STEM Ambassador, which allowed me to undertake activities both inside and outside of work. I found these activities very enjoyable as it allowed me to socialise with my colleagues.