Product Control & Logistics Review

I have enjoyed my placement not only in terms of the experience I have gained of the automotive industry but the interpersonal skills I have developed which will not only help me in my final year studies but also in achieving my desired career. The role has allowed me to be exposed to a variety of tasks including the supplier and also customer side of logistics I did not initially expect but this has certainly been rewarding.

The PC&L team is quite small at FIS Washington so you get to know everyone very well and work closely with each other. I feel this has helped me fit amongst the team however having the PC&L team split in two locations can sometimes act as barrier. Overall the student is looked after and treated as any other employee in the team.

My manager was always very supportive and made sure I felt comfortable to speak up whenever I needed to. I have been given a variety of tasks delegated by my manager which has allowed me to widen my experience and have always felt supported and appreciated when doing these tasks.

I worked to a very busy weekly schedule. The beginning of the week is a lot more demanding in terms of stock counts and sending orders out to suppliers to meet deadlines however the back end of the week allows you to catch up on smaller tasks so this balances out.

I was exposed to a high level of responsibility which at first was quite daunting however this exposure has allowed me to develop to a very high level not only in my role but also academically in terms of theoretical knowledge.

From day one I your placement you begin building interpersonal skills. My time management has improved, decision making and also prioritisation. Overall being a daily contact to suppliers has allowed my communication skills to dramatically improve having a positive knock on effect to my confidence. All of which can be applied to my academic workload in my final year. In addition I have also gained an insight into what to complete my dissertation on as well as learning more theoretical knowledge into supply chain management.

The atmosphere in the office in generally quiet with a mixture of departments. However as previously mentioned I believe if the whole PC&L team were situated together in one office there would be a more effective and efficient operation.

I had a very in depth handover by the precious student alongside working with her for 2 weeks at the beginning. This set me up incredibly well for my role and from then on I was able to get involved in the role straight away. However as the responsibility is quite a lot to get used to you do learn the role quickly and so the final 6 months you do feel as though there could be further projects and tasks you could be given if this is possible to implement.

I did feel as though a lot of the time I was left to get on with the role however this suited he way in which I work best. I always knew I had the support of my manager if I ever needed however if I ever wanted training it was upto myself to be proactive and to organise this. Overall the company so invest in students from student inductions, gifts, reviews and Faurecian Day and so you do feel valued on the same level as all other employees.

The graduate scheme and also the VIE scheme both seem very appealing as they both invest greatly into the individuals career.

Most students at the plant were local so there was very little interaction outside of work however we all got on very well and could've easily organised to meet up outside of work.

I chose to live at home and so the cost of living was cheap! However as a general rule if you are relocating to Washington I would definitely recommend to live in Jesmond which is a student area located around 25 minute drive to the plant.

Newcastle is known for its nightlife so any student will enjoy the nightlife, however Saturdays can be more expensive than the usual student nights during the week.

There were very little opportunities to get involved with outside of work - we celebrated Faurecia's 25th anniversary but this was the only event organised. However it's down to the individuals if they truly want to organise something things will be easy as all employees are local and easy to get on with.