DMS Project Coordinator Review

My work placement at Volkswagen Group UK was an enjoyable year and a fascinating insight into the automotive industry. I gained a lot of experience which will be invaluable when applying for graduate schemes. Volkswagen Group UK was a great company to work for as my role was varied which kept the year interesting and stimulating.

My colleagues were extremely welcoming when I began my placement year, offering help whenever it was required and arranging meetings to introduce my role and the tasks that I would encounter. They were very understanding of the fact that I was a student and new to the workplace and therefore work was not thrown upon me, instead it was a more gradual process. They were a very friendly team but sometimes did not give me much responsibility

The guidance I received from my manager was very helpful as it was maintained at regular intervals to see how I was progressing and managing with the workload. These meetings were scheduled to be on a weekly basis and at a one to one level, providing personal support as well as discussing work matters. Due to his busyness, there were periods when we did not meet for a couple of weeks which was sometimes an issue when I did not have much work on.

The level of how busy I was did vary somewhat and sometimes there were days when I had little to do. This was often the case when my managers were busy dealing with other meetings and did not have the time to assign me tasks. The nature of the project during my year was the reason for this and when it struggled, there was not much work for me to do. Work often consisted of a lot of ad hoc tasks.

Before starting my placement, I was told by my predecessor that my placement would be varied and I would be given a high level of responsibility. Part of this proved to be the case as I was given some different tasks throughout my year which developed my skills. However, I was not given as much responsibility as I would have liked which often meant the placement was monotonous and did not stretch me.

The skills developed throughout my placement year will greatly enhance my prospects for getting a graduate job as the year in the workplace was invaluable. It improved my skills of public speaking, dealing with colleagues in the workplace and gave me a look into how a large company is run. Furthermore, the data analysis I undertook will assist in my university studies next year.

The atmosphere of the office was a positive environment to work in, Monday mornings were never hard! There was sometimes discontent among sub-teams and office politics but for the vast majority of the time, it was a friendly place to work. The relationship between other placement students was very good and helped me to enjoy the year.

The company is very geared towards student’s needs as there are almost forty placement students at Volkswagen Group UK. As a way of introductions into the company, various induction days were held such as ‘All About VWG’ and ‘Being an Employee’. In addition, Excel courses were provided to improve competency with this vital piece of software. However, I don’t think some of the placement was very well organised such as the application to the graduate scheme. In many placement schemes, those who have performed well are offered places on the graduate scheme. After a year of investment and good performance, this would seem common sense. At VWG, one has to apply to get onto an assessment centre, essentially a full application which I think is farcical.

There was a significant amount of training invested in me by the company which improved my personal development and gave me skills which will be very helpful upon graduating from university. This included courses which not only helped during the year but for my university studies such as Excel training and a presenting course.

Despite enjoying my year spent with Volkswagen Group UK, I do not think I will look to undertake the graduate scheme. I think I would like to try a different industry and use the skills gained in another workplace. This is not to say that future employment prospects are not appealing, the salary is very competitive, there is a good amount of holiday and a company car is a huge bonus.

There was a good social scene amongst fellow placement students although this was organised by ourselves. This included weekly games of five a side football and we often organised nights out or barbecues. Amongst colleagues, there was less of a social scene although team building exercises on away days helped to build relationships. This was because my team were more middle aged with families to look after; several members of my cohort had excellent social relations with their teams.

Our rent was not too expensive as we shared a house between four people so it worked out similar to university accommodation. However, I did find the cost of living expensive, particularly in terms of going out and buying drinks in bars. As a result, I did not go out often in Milton Keynes.

The nightlife in Milton Keynes was limited, offering only two clubs, and expensive. Therefore, I did not go out much and quickly got bored. London was only a short train journey away though so we were able to visit there and see friends from university, although this was also expensive. I made the most of free weekends to visit friends in university cities nearby so got a taste of the nightlife there.

Outside of work there were plenty of activities to be involved in. There are lots of sports clubs which placement students got involved in and I went to the gym regularly to stay active. Furthermore, water sports were a popular pastime at nearby lakes. In addition, the shopping in Milton Keynes is excellent and there is a wide array of shops in the centre.