Pricing Specialist Review

As with all jobs I assume, the role had it's ups and downs. When I began at J&J I loved my role as it was something so new and I was constantly learning. After a few months the workload became much greater and I felt the pressure. I had taken on a full-time role rather than a "placement" which was a lot to handle when this is your first office job. My role also has a lot of risk to it, the slightest errors in your work can lead to huge consequences for the financial figures of sale representatives and J&J overall. I often spoke with my manager about the problems I had but the workload was never lifted due to a lack of resourcing in the team. As a student placement I wanted to ensure I was working to my best ability but the workload often stopped me from doing this and would cause stress at work. However, I enjoyed working for J&J as I found the company hugely interesting and had some fantastic opportunities whilst on my placement year.

My team were very supportive when I had a lot of work on, everyone is in the same boat and would assure me that we were all doing the best we can. I felt to fit in well with my team and enjoyed being around them. The team got on well which was nice and I soon got to know everyone considering you're sat together all day, 5 times a week. The only downfall with this area is particular management within the team. There were times when I felt unappreciated of my hard work by a particular manager which was frustrating. Colleagues on my level would always assure me I was doing well and that pressure at management level was the cause for their actions.

Myself and my manager got on really well however when I had too much work on it seemed to take a lot to reduce this and give me a helping hand. I don't blame this on my manager though, I know the work would be taken over sooner if there were enough hands in the team. I felt like I could chat to my manager easily and not feel uncomfortable displaying my emotions and opinions.

I was always busy, some weeks would be busier than others but I would never find myself twiddling my thumbs. The weeks where the work load slowed down allowed me to catch up on previous work which was much needed. There would be periods where the work load was becoming too much and pieces of work were left incomplete, this made me feel like I was incapable of my role but the whole team were experiencing the same... could ideally do with more resourcing which is often talked about in the team.

My responsibility was greater than I could have imagined, I looked after the pricing for the Northern region of the UK and Scotland which was a challenge for someone so new to work. Having such a huge responsibility allowed me to develop my organisation and leadership skills. When the region was handed over to me I instantly noticed a change in my work, I had become more efficient and used my time much more wisely.

The skills I have developed will for sure be a great help in my future career. Although the technical skills picked up are not entirely relevant to my future career, the business professionalism certainly is. I have learnt a huge amount on Excel which I really enjoy and these skills can be transferred into work at university and/or future employment. Skills such as time management, organisation, teamwork and problem solving are ones which I have especially developed. I have also seen a huge increase in my confidence over the last year which will benefit me when I have to do presentations at University or meet new people in the future. I have also learnt how important it is to make self executive decisions, having a role like this means you must make your own decisions and take action rather than relying on others to guide you.

The office atmosphere was average, we all spoke and had a laugh. Often we would just have our headphones in as the work we do is rather technical and requires a lot of attention. You could always tell when it was Friday or it was someones birthday as there would be an abundance of snacks and treats to brighten everyone's day.

I felt that my placement was very well organised, I had all my equipment waiting for me when I arrived and the contact for my placement was always very efficient at responding. My training was very organised and I was provided with lots of instructions to help me with my work which I still have in my drawer- I just can't let g of such useful notes!

At the start of my placement I was provided with all the relevant training for my role and that of the products which we sold. If I ever requested more training there was never a problem with arranging such thing, I asked to visit another department in another office and I did so after a week to experience something completely different and see another sector of the business. Opportunities like these are great and I'm very grateful of that.

Johnson & Johnson is a great company to work for and I would definitely consider future roles. There are so many opportunities available including a variety of roles and locations. The company is very impressive and I am forever learning new things which I can't wait to talk about when I get home.

Our placement students never really got together as a whole, the placement students which work near me were often the ones I would socialise with outside of work. These in other sectors of the business I would not see so often so did not get to know them really. I never felt alone, I was happy with the friends I had made and enjoyed spending time together even just the few of us. I made lots of friends within my team who I would socialise with outside of work, probably more often than the other placement students!

Where I was based in Leeds was not too expensive. There are areas which cost more and areas which cost less, like anywhere really. I lived with a friend for the year so my rent was cheap and travel into the city nearby was very affordable. There was a great variety of shops nearby too so you can choose how to spend your money.

The nightlife in Leeds is good, it has lots of students around so you are sure to find lots of bars and great food chains. There are also lots of busy villages in the outskirts of Leeds which is great for students, there is lots going on so I am never bored living where I do.

In the city there are endless opportunities, lots of shops, sports and restaurants on offer. As a team from work I found that we didn't go out often to do activities together unless there was a special occasion. There was plenty to do nearby though so I never felt like a loose end.