IT Business Analyst Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement here at Caterpillar. It has been a great opportunity for me to be able to experience what the role as a business analyst actually entails. I have had the experience of being involved in some great projects and have been able to learn and apply information I have learnt at university.

From the get go I was involved in real projects. This meant that I had been given a lot of responsibility which is something that I know other placements may not be able to provide. Everyone is treated as a valued member of the team including myself. You are not treated as a placement but rather as a business analyst who will be able to do the task at hand which is something that I appreciate.

You are given regular support and guidance from both your peers as well as your supervisor. If you are ever struggling with a task you have been set you can always ask for some help where you can sit down and discuss what the next steps you could take are or support in overcoming the issue you are having. You also have regular team meetings where you will discuss the projects and tasks you are on which provides an opportunity for you to discuss your tasks and any hurdles you may have encountered to find a solution. I also have a monthly 121 with my supervisor where we will discuss how I am finding the projects and whether I have any issues I wish to raise.

This has varied throughout the year and has depended on what stage of the project we are on. I have found myself on occasion have extremely busy days tackling a task which has taken a few weeks to complete and I have also experienced days where I will have very little tasks to complete. The quieter periods did allow for me to be able to complete some of the university work I had been set for the placement year.

Within the overall team we have smaller project teams which means that everyone is given a lot of responsibility to complete their projects. As a result this allowed me to experience first hand what it is like to perform the role as a business analyst. From the offset I was involved I projects and given regular tasks to complete whether it be testing or analysis work.

My degree is aligned well to the role as a business analyst. Therefore, a lot of the theory I have learnt at university has been transferable and allowed me to put it into practice in a real life situation. Due to this I've been able to further develop my skills and see how theories differ in real life from how they are taught. Through this year I've been able to further develop my interpersonal skills on a daily basis such as my communication, teamwork and analysis skills. These are everyday skills which will be extremely helpful in the future. Caterpillar also have an online learning platform that you are able to utilize if you wish. On here they have different training modules you can select to learn.

The atmosphere in the office is good. Everyone is friendly and easy to get along with. Everyone is always able to help if you need it. The office has a range of people with different interest which has meant that I've been able to learn some new things throughout the year.

The set up of the placement was quite good. The application process was relatively smooth. Not too long after applying I had a telephone interview and then after the assessment centre it was only a few days until I had been informed that I was being offered the placement. Overall the process was quite easy and in the months leading up to the placement there was a meet and greet day where you had the opportunity to come and find out more about Cat and meet the all of the other placements.

When I first began I spent a few days of doing online training which consisted of a series of modules. Throughout the year I have had the opportunity for a lot of on the job training which has been good and allowed me to improve my skills set. Caterpillar have their own online training site which you can utilize to learn and train with.

Caterpillar have a great graduate scheme that they offer. As a company they are always expanding and as they take on more projects and increase their workload and portfolio they may look to take on more graduates. Once I finish university if I saw that they were advertising for graduate analysts I would most likely look to apply for it. It is a great team with good opportunities for career development.

At Caterpillar there is a young persons group for placements and graduates where they will organize events during the year. The events consist of going to the races/speedway , rock climbing and general nights out.

The YP hosted social events throughout the year that placements and graduates can get involved in. They included football, rock climbing, nights at the speedway and night outs.