Launch and change management Review

The placement was very enjoyable as there was lots to learn and most of the tasks were very interesting. Getting to see all the models of Rolls-Royce cars, every day, is amazing. The feeling of working in a company that produces the most luxurious cars in the world is something else.

I integrated quite well within the team I would say, as we would make conversation on a daily basis regardless of us working on a similar task or not. They also guided me and helped me whenever I struggled with a task. I couldn't have asked for a better team.

My supervisors and management were never reluctant to support me and they definitely guided me through difficult tasks and gave good advice. I had regular 1-2-1s with my manager where we would discuss my progress on tasks and it was a great opportunity to ask for advice or share any problems regarding my work life.

I undertook daily tasks and as I got a hang of them, I could perform them faster and I would get less busy. However, in the dynamic work environment I would be getting one-off tasks throughout the week and as a different build phase began for a car, my daily tasks would rotate accordingly. Projects I worked on would keep me busy as I would constantly update them or improve on them.

During the placement I was given the responsibility for a major task and 2 projects. It was my sole responsibility to see the tasks through from when I started them and to make sure that the tasks are updated accordingly. I would get supervision from my manager at times, but for example, it was up to me to set up appropriate meetings with the appropriate people for a task, or when tasks arise, for me to complete it by myself.

The skills I developed will help me a lot in my degree studies even though it may not be directly related to engineering knowledge. Most importantly, I learnt how to manage time for a project, this will help me plan my work at University much better and help me be efficient. The skills I gained in MS Excel and PowerPoint are very valuable as I learnt so much more, even a bit of VBA coding. The insights I received into manufacturing processes and systems has broadened my horizons and greatly deepened my understanding of manufacturing a quality product.

The atmosphere was light and friendly. Everyone sits at their own desk within a group, and it was easy to communicate with colleagues. The office I was in was quite large and there is quite a lot of movement as everyone isn't restricted to their desks as there are various booths and tables within the office.

It was set up well from the beginning as I had a week in the beginning where my predecessor handed over tasks and duties and help me set up all my IT related software accounts. Through out the placement there were various numbers of tasks to complete and were organised in a structured manner.

There were various numbers of workshops to attend offered by the company such as Excel workshops, CV workshops, among many others. These occurred at different points during the duration of my placement and all I had do was sign up to attend. In addition, I also had access to a few books to learn about certain topics/processes, for example, quality management, if I wanted to learn more about it.

Within the organisation there are a number of departments I have seen which I would like to work in. The perks that would come with being permanently employed are quite appealing. However, in my case, being an international student, I would require a Tier 2 visa to be sponsored by the company and this company doesn't normally offer them.

The social scene was great and I got the opportunity to meet a lot of students from other backgrounds. Everyone I met got along quite easily and we had lunch together everyday in a group. I was involved with after work activities with my colleagues, such as movie nights or drinks.

The cost of living and per month came to about £400 (rent) and food and was roughly £200 per month. The cost of socialising really depended on how many activities I chose to get involved with and ranged from £20 to £40. In summary, it was quite affordable every month.

The nightlife in Chichester involved mainly going to Pubs and there were not a lot of clubs to choose from. For a standard night out we would usually meet at someones flat and after that, head off for a few drinks at pubs after which we would usually decide to have a night out in Brighton.

Outside work there was a good amount of activities to get involved with with my fellow placement students, such as gym, football in the park or badminton. We would occasionally go to the beach when the weather was good or plan trips to other cities in the UK to visit over some weekends.