Marketing and Events Assistant Review

I had a fantastic placement at ProspectSoft. I was given the freedom to manage my tasks which allowed me to develop my time management skills. Everyone is really friendly as they have lots of experience with the new placements ever year or have been a placement themselves. The work was varied and I had a chance to work in lots of different areas of the business.

Being part of a team of two I felt really valued by my co-worker and manager. We worked well as a team and really appreciated each other's efforts as we had a heavy workload. The business itself is quite small and people from other departments were interested in what I was doing and I was able to share updates in monthly company meetings.

My manager was a placement herself and so gave me lots of support and was always willing to help. She was always happy to answer any questions and give any necessary advice and opinions on design. Others in the office were also happy to give their opinion on design and creative materials which I had created. However, there was no other structured guidance and support as the company is quite flexible and if they think you are doing a good job they will leave you to it.

On a daily basis, I was always really busy but I liked being busy and although I had a lot on nothing was ever immediately urgent and so I was able to manage things effectively. My manager would tell me if something was of major importance and although I struggled at the beginning I am now much better at multi-tasking and organisation.

I was given a high level of responsibility in being the voice for the company and managing all of their social media platforms. I was also trusted to create content which would be featured on the website and shown at trade shows. I was also responsible as a representative for the business when dealing with suppliers.

You receive in-depth training at the start of your placement about the company's offerings which are only specific to the company as it is so niche and their systems. But you learn a lot of transferable soft skills such as time management, teamwork, leadership and organisation. These skills will definitely help me in the close future when managing my dissertation in my final year and in future employment.

The general atmosphere was quite relaxed and everyone in the office is quite young so we all had similar interests in going out and food! However, everyone has a lot to be getting on with and so the office is sometimes very quiet at times but you are allowed to listen to music and have a chat when you like as long as you get your work done.

I could tell the company was well organised and cared a lot about their placements and placement scheme from the Assessment centre I attend. I wasn't made to feel pressured or nervous and felt like they genuinely wanted to find out more about me. Each placement is responsible for handing over to the next lot of placements and my handover was very organised as i was given a folder on my first day on the job with all the information I would need.

You receive company specific training for a month at the start of the placement where you get the chance to develop your presentation skills and you can get to know the other placements. In terms of other training one hour a week I was able to develop my knowledge by doing free online certifications which are also an asset to my CV.

The company is growing and has recently been partially bought our by an investment firm so there are exciting times to come. Being a small business you have the opportunity to get promoted and get a senior job quite quickly in your career however once you've reached the top then there's nowhere else to go unless you are interested in managing/ working in other departments.

Placements would meet up occasionally on the weekends and go for drinks or a night out in Oxford. The placements would also meet up with the full-time staff and we had various BBQ's, meals out and nights out. The company also organises a Christmas party every year and a summer event. This year we went to Henley Regatta paid for my the company and the day was amazing!

The offices are based in Stokenchurch and so placements had the option of living in High Wycombe o Oxford if they needed to move for their work. I chose to live in Oxford and although the cost of living and socialising is very expensive ( highest in the UK following London) if you manage your money carefully you have enough to spend and have a good time. And I am so glad I chose to live in Oxford as it is a beautiful city and as a student town there is lots to do! Some of the placements chose to stay living at home as they lived close to the area and so they were able to be a bit richer than I! But it is up to you if you would rather have the money or the experience.

Nightlife in Oxford is pretty standard but there are lots of night clubs and with a good group of people, you are sure to have fun. There are also lots of smaller bars that do great happy hour deals. If you move to Oxford I would definitely recommend Cafe Baba on Cowley road!

There is a lot of opportunities to get involved in things outside of work. There's a company football team, monthly board game sessions after work, squash, rock climbing and a trampoline club. Even if there's an activity you are interested in people will be sure to come along with you.