SAS Programmer Review

I really enjoyed my placement year. The job was very varied, and by the end of it I felt I could take on most tasks with little assistance. I was lucky enough to be asked to stay on after summer after completing my placement year which was a great opportunity, allowing me to further develop my skills.

I felt like a full member of the team. I helped to organise team social events.

I was assigned a mentor after I completed my first 2 weeks of training at Covance. I sat next to him and worked mainly for him. If I ever had any questions or didn't understand, my mentor was always happy to help me out and push me in the right direction.

After being at Covance a couple of months I'd learnt most aspects of the job role and was kept busy with a variety of different tasks. Everyday was different, with plenty to do. If I ever completed a task early I just asked for any other work that needed doing.

I was given a lot of responsibility, especially towards the end of my placement when I stood in as a Lead Programmer whilst a colleague was on Annual Leave. This opportunity helped me to develop further at Covance and set me up ready for returning after uni to take on more of a lead role

I developed my organisation, communication and problem solving skills whilst on placement which set me up for my final year. These skills have also helped me with completing job applications and interviews and successfully gaining a job following on from University. Whilst I didn't use SAS at uni, my programming skills learnt from SAS helped me complete a computational module at uni.

The office was a great place to work. It felt like a positive place to work, with general chitchat and laughter allowed. When we were at busier patches you could tell as the office was quieter. Everyone in the office was friendly and happy to help you out whatever the question

The whole year was well planned out. I started in July and was given 3 weeks of intense training across all topics before being set to work straight on proper tasks. There was no brew making, I was a proper member of the team, given important work to do to tight deadlines

I was given training to complete my job on a daily basis and opportunities to continually develop

Following completely my placement I was offered a job to return to Covance and I've been with the company over 6 years now.

There were 5 placement students who all started together when I was on my placement year. We went for lunch together every day and regular went out for tea or out for drinks after work on an evening. I'm still close with a few of my fellow placement students and see them regularly

Whilst on placement I lived at home and traveled in by train. The train prices were reasonable and the service was regular and with work not being far from the train station it was the best situation for me. Since the office is right in the city centre there were plenty of opportunities for socialising.

Leeds is a large city with lots of different areas offering a variety of different nights out dependent on what you are after. There are a couple of pubs/bars near work which are handy for a cheeky Friday night drink. There are some great restaurants around too if its just food you are after

There were a variety of after work activities including trips Bowling, to the cinema, meals out, nights out, pub crawls, Christmas meals, Christmas Party. A variety of different things to get involved with.