Cruise Trading Assistant Review

I got more from my placement year at TUI than I ever imagined I would! Not only do I feel like a really intergrated and valued part of my team but I have also been given the opportunity to participate in different projects in other business areas, which has both broadened my knowledge of the the business and given me a much clearer insight into what I want to do in my future career!

Both the placement learning and development team and my immediate working team have always been very supportive and have encouraged my further development throughout the year. I don’t feel like I am a placement student because I have always been treated exactly how other memebers of my team are treated which I feel has really helped me grow professionally.

I have always felt that I have been able to ask managers and the placement team for support whenever I have needed it and always had a positive experience when doing so. I have everyone very approachable for the duration of the year which makes asking for support so much easier but we also have weekly one to ones with line managers and monthly meetings with the placement team which do it’s easy to facilitate asking for support from these sessions too.

I have definitely not been short of things to do for the duration of my placement year; the further into the year I have got, the more responsibility I have been given which has meant I have been busier and we also had our placement projects to work on outside of our role. However this has given me a good opportunity to develop skills such as organisation and prioritisation which I can carry forward.

At the start of the year, I was so surprised at the amount of responsibility I was given and this has only grown throughout the year; I now independently work on tasks and report back to relevant managers accordingly. At first, this was massively out of my comfort zone but I feel this has really helped me develop and understand the responsibilities and pressures of a ‘real job’ which has definitely been a invaluable learning from my year.

At the start of my placement, I received 4 weeks of training which was both relevant to the role and to strategy of the wider business which was very helpful! The opportunities that I have had throughout the year to take part in additional projects throughout the year has really helped me develop in terms of dealing with different situations in a professional manor and in terms of helping me acquire the necessary experience and skills for my future career goals.

The atmosphere in the office was always really positive and friendly and I have always felt like everyone really enjoys working there! Events are frequently held to encourage more engagement in the products we offer and monthly ‘town halls’ are held where directors give a range of business updates and all the colleagues in the office gather round for this occasion.

I cannot praise the placement team enough for the amount of effort they put into the scheme and how great the year that I have had has planned out. All the additional projects, feedback sessions, workshops and other meetings such as having breakfast with some of our UK and Ireland directors is all facilitated through them!

As previously mentioned, the training I received at the start of my placement was extensive and I felt after the induction period, I was fully equipped to do my job properly. We have also participated in various workshops which has helped developed core skills such as presenting and we carried out a strenthsfinder activity which was both insightful and interesting!

Unfortunately there isn’t a graduate scheme that I can apply for at the moment but relevant measures have been put in place to facilitate me coming back into the business should a position in a agreed team become available, which is something I never expected or imagined would come out of my placement year!

TUI is generally a very sociable place to work so there is quite often things going on after work and I have also had a few team days out which is really nice and a great laugh! We also have socials for the placements and the placement team which are again a good laugh and a good opportunity to wind down after work!

Considering how close to London we lived, I thought the cost of living was very reasonable. Surrounding areas where most of the socialising are a bit more expensive but still quite reasonable given the distance from London.

Most people go out in Harpenden, St Albans or London which are more expensive but the atmosphere is always really good in these places and trains run through the night so it’s really easy and cheap to get back! There is a range of nightlife in these places so definitely something for everyone!

There are lots of opportunities to socialise outside of work through participating in sports teams that are run by staff members to the annual sports days.