Commercial Sales Placement Student Review

I wouldn't say I thoroughly enjoyed my placement because I discovered that the automotive industry didn't interest me. However, this has been a fantastic opportunity from which I have learnt so much. The exposure of working in an international company has given me a valuable insight in the day-to-day life of a business. This opportunity would be perfect for someone who has an interest in the automotive industry and I would highly recommend it!

My colleagues delegated important tasks to myself which made me feel trusted and an important part of the team. They got me involved with many aspects of the business which helped my understanding and improved me as an employee. Not only did I want to improve but they wanted to help me improve as well.

My Manager and colleagues were always willing to sit down with me and go through something if I did not understand. We would set up meetings to go through stumbling blocks or to review my progress on a particular task. A lot of my tasks involved me working with people in different sectors of the business - people who I didn't even know. Yet these people were all very supportive as we were all working to one goal which is to satisfy the customer.

It varied. Some days I would be very busy and would need to work late in order to meet my deadlines. Other days it would be quieter because I'd be waiting to hear back from colleagues before I can start a piece of work. The time of year had an impact too. In the summer months it was generally quiet for everyone because people would be on holidays. Overall, I'd say the workload was very good.

A lot of responsibility. The tasks that were delegated to me were of high importance and if nobody did them then it would cause a lot of problems. As well as having my core tasks, other tasks were delegated to me over time from different people. I picked up some tasks from the Sales Engineers, Cash Manager and the Senior Commercial Manager. Working on different tasks with different people widened my exposure even more.

Massively. The soft skills I have developed such as communication and time management will play a huge part in my final year of studies. I will take the work ethic I have built in my 8-5 job and implement a similar structure into my studies. Furthermore, Faurecia kindly paid for me to do an Excel training course which is key business tool used by most company's. This will put me in good stead when looking for a graduate role.

When it was a full office the atmosphere was very good. We would often go out for pub lunches which was a really good way to socialise and get to know your colleagues. However, due to so many people travelling for business, the office could sometimes be very empty.

It was good but room for improvement. Having a longer handover period with the old placement student would be beneficial and it would make the new placement student more confident when the full responsibility falls on him/her. Secondly, having the plant experience in the first or second week would be advised because then the placement student can learn about the product quicker.

They paid for me to go on an Excel training course in London. This was very beneficial for me because my excel skills were limited before joining. Also, we use excel everyday so it was important to have a good understanding of the program. They took me to numerous plants abroad where I could see the products, assembly lines and colleagues from abroad. this was really helpful when learning about the product.

I have no interest in the automotive industry therefore I wouldn't be interested in future prospects with Faurecia. However, if you want to work in the automotive industry and have a passion for cars then this is the place to be. They're the best at what they do!

There were many customer-related events where we would go into London for dinner and drinks. Furthermore, events such as the Christmas party and summer BBQ were great ways to socialise and meet new people. Lastly, every Friday we would go out to a restaurant for lunch.

I commuted to work from home. From what I understand it's a very nice area to live in.

Brentwood is the heart of the TOWIE scene. There are loads of bars and restaurants and of course.......the famous Sugar Hut.

I lived at home so most of my activities were based in my area. However, my colleagues took part in activities such as Hockey, Gym and Dancing