This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
-
The Company
-
The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I really enjoyed my placement and the work I did throughout it. I was given lots of opportunities to get involved in work outside of my day to day role which helped broaden my range of experience. My role was varied and mostly project based so there was always something to work on.
The culture at VWFS is very welcoming and supportive, this was reflected by all employees. As soon as I started my placement I noticed what a welcoming atmosphere it was which helped me settle in straight away. My team always made me feel valued and made sure I was involved in everything that was going on which I appreciated.
The team structure meant I worked very closely with my manager within my role. Working alongside her meant I always had someone to help me if needed. We had weekly 1:1s to discuss our workload for the week but then also monthly 1:1s to work on my personal development outside of my role which were really useful and above and beyond what I expected from my placement.
As with all roles some times were busier than others but there was always work for me to pick up if I was quiet. I enjoy being busy so enjoyed the peak times more than when we were a bit quieter but my manager and the rest of the team would give me more work if I needed.
I had tasks that I was solely responsible for and took lead on some of the projects I worked on. So for certain tasks I had a lot of responsibility and others I would work to support the team. Overall I was happy with the mixture of responsibility I had.
Everything I have learnt and the experience I have gained will definitely help me moving forward. Seeing everything in practice as opposed to the theories I had learnt at Uni was extremely beneficial and is experience that will help me in my final year. My placement has also changed my mind on what I thought I wanted to do after Uni and has now made me come up with a new plan which is great.
The Company
There's always a positive atmosphere in the office.
The placement was set up well. The undergraduates attended monthly Life Skills sessions which were fun and useful. Although we were suppose to take part in an undergraduate project and didn't which was a bit disappointing.
In general I think you got out of the placement what you put into it. There were loads of development opportunities throughout the year but it was a case of putting yourself forward for them, which I don't think is an issue.
Flexi Time
Company Car
Subsidised/Company Gym
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Above 25 days holiday
The future employment prospects are good. It is likely you would be able to get a permanent job with them after you finished Uni. However their graduate scheme is only every other year which means there won't be an intake when I finish Uni which is disappointing. Although Volkswagen Group have an intake for their graduate scheme every year and you have the opportunity to apply for a Golden Ticket which takes you straight to their assessment centre.
The Culture
There were 27 undergraduates so there was usually something going on which was great and really added a slight Uni vibe to the placement.
There were only a couple of actual clubs but lots of bars. All of which were always busy.
There were CSR opportunities and sports clubs to join. I didn't really do any but because there were so many undergraduates there was always something to do with them.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
East Midlands
May 2018