This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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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
Working for Volvo Group UK was truly an amazing opportunity. I got to develop the knowledge and skills in order to pursue my degree. This opportunity exposed me to different aspects in my field of study. I got to know the areas in which I excelled at and the areas where I needed more development. It gave me a great insight into my career options. Having the experience and skills that I have now after spending a year in the ‘Business Intelligence Team’ will certainly enhance my CV, skills and employability options in the future.
By the end of the internship I felt like a full-time / long term member of the team / company. I felt valued, gained friends as well as colleagues. It helped me to recognise the importance of the future connections. By working with my team I was able to develop and build communication skills.
There was perfect balance. There were some days were I was very busy and had to really carefully plan my time which at the end contributed into developing one more skill which is - personal effectiveness and time management planning. I was able to spread my tasks across the day so that I could finish everything on time and meet all important deadlines.
As the time passed by, I was given higher levels of responsibility and authority in projects and tasks. It was great to see how my managers and team grew their trust in me. I had an greater involvement in project to not only help build knowledge to myself, but to help the company in the long run.
I significantly improved my IT literacy – especially excel, powerpoint skills. I was able to get to know other applications from Microsoft package in a great detail by doing a daily analysis on excel worksheets and reporting on results. In the results of these activities I improved my analytical and reporting skills. By being present on regular meetings, I significantly improved my communication skills. I have learnt how to be results oriented, professional and reliable by being given the responsibility to work on the important projects that will not only help my self-development but help the company in the long term.
The Company
The atmosphere was always amazing. There were times when we needed to be just quiet and focus on the important tasks when the projects deadlines were approaching and there was a lot to do. However, most of the time - marketing department is very chatty, creative with a great friendly atmosphere throughout the day.
Very well organised. I had an input into developing new processes and systems that the business will use long term. I was involved in multiple international skype calls or meeting where I was able to present my ideas to the professionals. It was a great hands – on experience and can be used as evidence in my future university assignments. It encouraged me to feel like an integral part of the business.
Company invested a lot in training the interns. We had multiple trainings in the first induction week and later on personal and business development courses. I personally attended Excel Intermediate, Excel Advanced, Presentation and Personal Effectiveness and Time Management Course... all very useful not only for the future career but the next university year as well.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Subsidised/Company Gym
International Travel
Company Parties/Events
At this point Volvo Group does not offer any graduate scheme which is a pity. After discussion with the rest of the interns we almost all agreed we would be so glad if we could come back after we finish our university. However, as of today there is no clear vision for this.
The Culture
Living cost is quite expensive I would compare it to Oxford area. The Warwick town is very quiet, very family oriented, only few shops in the centre of the town. No shopping mall can be found. Tesco Superstore is nearby and that is it. Therefore, not many options for socialising. However, Leamington Spa is very close as well as Birmingham where I spent most of my days.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
West Midlands
August 2018