Commercial Sales Review

My placement year at Faurecia was highly enjoyable. The job role offered a wide range of dynamic and exciting tasks, and even business trips to Portugal and France. The role was in sales however I was also involved with various business functions such as finance, logistics, and the customer which made every day different.

I felt extremely valued by all colleges. I got on really well with everyone in my office and it was a nice environment to be in. I also had colleagues based in France and in plants around the world which was fantastic for building up a global network.

My manager gave me a lot of support and guidance during the year, not only to complete the responsibilities of the role but also to build many transferable skills and business knowledge.

There were certain times of the week/month that I would be busier than others. For example at the end of the quarter I would be extremely busy completing a range of tasks. However in quieter times I would have a steady pace of work.

My role was a lot of responsibly - more than I was expecting for a placement year. For example I was transacting all of the pricing for all parts which at first felt like a lot of pressure. However I think the amount of responsibly given has allowed me to grow massively on both a personal and professional level.

The placement has provided me with a unique learning experience that has combined practical work with prior theory based knowledge. The experience enabled me to gain a huge amount of skills that would not have been achieved through part time jobs and university alone. I also feel as though I have matured greatly.

It was a perfect mix of a working environment and fun. I got along well with everyone and enjoyed going for team meals and of course fat Friday where we would have breakfast!

It was a very smooth running placement. I had a two week handover to learn the basics and everything was set up for me. Throughout the year I had regular placement progress meetings with my manager.

I have had training in various software and applications. I've also been abroad twice and had many plant tours both of Caricature and the customer plants. All students also stay in a hotel at the beginning of the placement for training and at the end of the placement for a wrap up session.

There are many options after graduation, such as graduate placements and the VIE scheme. I would love to go back!

For me working in the office not the plant there was only one other student who was permanently based here, and two other students who occasionally came. However at the plant there is more of a social scene as there are many more students. However there are opportunities to create social scenes.

The wage is good and the area is normal prices.

As I live in Birmingham the nightlife is great!

We enjoyed many meals outside of work, walking up Snowdon for charity, after work bowling and student night out. If you were into football the plants also run some 5-a-side teams.