Communications Officer - PR Review

I had some amazing experiences at Jaguar Land Rover, including being able to travel abroad for 3 weeks. I was able to network with a wide range of people and really got chucked into the deep end to learn the job. At times the work was tedious and very admin focused but in starting off your career that has to be expected.

There was a significant age gap between me and my colleagues meaning that the work I was doing probably wasn’t too valuable to them. However, towards the end of the year when I began to settle in I felt appreciated and that I had made a difference to the team overall.

I wasn’t provided much managerial support throughout my year which left me questioning my development and progress during the year. This is one thing I wish I had more of as it is invaluable in starting out in a world you don’t really have an experience of. However I had a good working relationship with my managers.

There was plenty of work to do in my team and it helped in being proactive to find that work, it was always available to just be given to you. You had to push for it, but I believe that is a good trait to learn in the world of work.

For an entry level role in a tough environment I was given a fair amount of responsibility. It was a lot smaller towards the start but as I grew into the role and became more comfortable, there was more responsibility given to me regularly. I felt at the end that I had important roles.

My course / degree was never going to be directly applicable to any industry or work. However, I was able to transfer a lot of skills and basic knowledge into the role. I now also know the industry and practical side of areas I study in my degree when going back next year.

The general atmosphere in the office was good. Positive people and everybody felt connected and valued. There was a good sense of importance for the office as a whole and was directly connected to the business results and success. There was good cohesion and team spirit, if a little quiet at times.

I was given all the necessary information required before joining the business and likewise with leaving. There was good communication from managers prior to arrival and a Facebook group for fellow new starters to meet and discuss any issues. It was easy to have any questions answered before joining.

I was given the opportunity to travel to multiple talks with different industry experts and support to do training courses where I wanted. The business also provides a bursary to learn or attend experiences outside of work which was a really good idea. There are definitely things in place to develop there.

I personally don’t feel the industry is for me and therefore won’t be looking to go back for future employment. However, there is a clear parth to getting a graduate role or employing for different positions in the future and it is very much encouraged to do so which is positive.

There was the potential for a social scene between fellow placement students, however, the area we lived didn’t provide that so much. It is hard to mix between departments and there wasn’t a central way to meet. However, the Facebook group was a good addition and there was a good social feel in my department anyway.

The cost of living was higher than expected due to the amount of students in the city. This meant finding a property late in the usual student year was hard and expensive, paying more than expected on rent. Prices for socialising were reasonable but not too many options to explore.

There was only 1 main club in the city which you soon get bored of. However it hosted a few good events and luckily knowing students from the city already helped in finding out when and where to go. Apart from 1 main club there wasn’t a great selection of bars or pubs.

There wasn’t really any opportunities to get involved in anything outside of work, the average age of employees is a lot older so they tend to have families. The graduate network is good and they have activities but there wasn’t one for undergraduates joining on placement years. It meant work was the only real interest.