Learning and Development Undergraduate Review

My placement year has been an incredible insight into the working world, allowing me to feel myself grow in terms of skills, competencies and experiences. This - as well as the range of responsibilities and opportunities given in my role - has led me to really enjoy my time at the company.

The culture of the organisation already promotes trust and collaboration within departments, however due to the nature and size of my direct team, the mutual respect we have for each other elevates this culture. I've never felt stigma because I'm an Undergraduate and a sentence that has stuck with me that a colleague told myself and a few other Undergraduates was 'if you weren't here, we'd be hiring permanent staff to do your roles' - highlighting our value and importance in the organisation.

As mentioned, my direct team (and line manager) were incredibly supportive, and helped me in setting and achieving objectives throughout my placement year. They were also proactive in finding new tasks after I'd returned from training courses, to support my learning and continue it. The only downside for me is that I feel a central figure outside of the Undergraduates' departments is needed, should anybody be struggling in their team and wanted somebody else to support them.

Being in a small team, there was always work to be done. Due to certain peak periods over the year however, there was definitely times that felt manic, and others that felt relaxed. Saying that, I enjoyed the peaks and troughs, as it gave me and the team time to reflect on busy periods and analyse what could be done better next time.

One of the main aspects I enjoyed from my placement was the level of responsibility given. I know that there are things that I do as part of my role that no one else in the business knows how to do. I also liked having pieces of work/events that I was solely accountable for, allowing me to flex my creativity when organising, planning or presenting.

Due to the nature of my role, I was lucky enough to be exposed to a massive range of developmental opportunities. This meant I could experience a large amount of training sessions over my year. These varied from Excel skills, presentation techniques, psychometric assessments and communication styles - all of which I'm certain will support me in my studies and future career.

I loved the culture of the organisation. The offices themselves are modern and up-to-date, and senior leaders at the top of the company are visible, friendly and supportive. This, along with the staff employed, really drive a calm, fun but professional working environment. A great experience of the modern business world.

Though I really enjoyed my work, my team and my time at the company, I think in terms of structure the scheme could be better planned. At times, it felt as though the scheme's organisation was made up on the spot. For example, due to a few personnel changes, I ended up taking on responsibility to organise the Undergraduate's monthly training sessions. Though I actually quite liked this, I didn't expect to be organising my own scheme while I was here.

My team & line manager allowed me to go on any training courses I wanted to attend. Because of this, I was able to build relationships and network with training specialists & providers who - in addition to the actual course - gave me a great insight into different ways/methods/theories on how to best develop myself.

Though we do have a Graduate scheme, this is brand new, and to my knowledge our Undergraduate cohort hasn't heard anything regarding it. Though there is a very structured and attractive Graduate scheme that can applied for at our sister company. Saying that, I've met a lot of senior leaders who have been Undergraduates, and have come back after their studies into 'normal' roles.

The Undergraduates & Graduates have a great relationship, and we spend a lot of time together, especially on evenings and at the weekends. As a team of colleagues, we also go out for regular lunches at nearby pubs, and the wider departments sometimes have large evening meals or social events such as charity fundraisers or pub quizzes.

To get the full experience of 'working life', I decided to be completely independent in terms of finances - where previously I might've relied on my parents etc. Though I don't regret this, as I've got great at personal budgeting and now recognise the general cost of 'living', it doesn't change the fact that it's been expensive!

To me, the town is built for working adults, not Students. There are definitely some good pubs and bars, but that's about it. The closest club is a fairly expensive taxi journey and to be honest, is not worth the journey anyway. I found that the best nights were the ones where we gathered at a friend's house and had parties there.

The company is tightly linked to a number of local and national charities, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved with event fundraising or supporting if that's your thing. There's also a number of sporting teams you can play for, as well as getting discounts on local gyms through the organisation. Finally, the town also has a fair few activities for you to try such as snowboarding, go-karts, paintballing or escape room-ing.