Conduct Risk/Business Change Undergraduate Placement Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with NBS. The work has been varied, challenging and most of all has helped me develop hugely both personally and professionally. I was really pleasantly surprised at the level of responsibility I was given very early on in my placement, this was positive not only because it allowed me to develop further but it also gave me a sense of purpose and made me feel like the work I was doing mattered to the wider business.

My colleagues are a huge part of why I enjoyed so much of my time on placement. The majority of the people at the Society are always warm, kind and super friendly. I felt welcome from day one and there always someone there to lend a hand if I was struggling with anything. I would say that the staff are the Society's biggest asset.

My line managers and supervisors were extremely supportive and always encourage me to get involved in experiences/activities that would encourage personal development. I felt comfortable enough to go to them for any help or to raise any issues/struggles I was having whilst on placement and was lucky to have such great people to support me.

The level of responsibility I was given during my placement really kept me going and very busy but in a positive and healthy way. I very rarely found myself bored or looking for ways to kill time and on occasions where I felt overwhelmed or like I needed extra support there was always someone there to help me out or help me prioritize what was most important.

I was given a huge amount of responsibility whilst on placement. I lead a number of initiatives and projects whilst at the building society. This is something which although seemed daunting at first was one of the best things that came from my placement and really helped boost my confidence both personally and professionally. As well as this, in the initial stages there was usually always someone to give support while I found my feet so that was an extra comfort that was definitely appreciated.

The skills I have developed and the experiences I have had with NBS will no doubt be hugely beneficial to wherever I end up in the future. I think in particular my time management and productivity levels when I return to uni in September will be vastly improved in comparison to before I did my placement.

The floor I worked on almost always had a warm and friendly atmosphere and by the time I was ready to leave my placement I knew everybody on the floor pretty well even though some of them I never actually worked directly with. This was something I really loved about my placement and I think is what made long or stressful days way more bearable and enjoyable.

The way my placement was set up was done very well, I had no issues at any point during my placement relating to how it was organised or set up. The Early Talent program also runs a series of projects for members to get involved in as a separate project from their normal role. This was a greatly positive part of the experience and allowed me to engage with Early Talent group members that I would otherwise rarely socialise or work with in normal circumstances.

The Society's learning and development team are fantastic and there was always a course or workshop for me to get involved in. About half way through my placement they introduced a digital development space to staff and this was a fantastic resource to use for personal development for both work related projects but also for the assignments I submitted to university whilst on placement.

I wish I could stay longer with the Society! Although I have only been around for less than a year I already feel like part of the furniture and am sad to leave in September. I will definitely be looking to join their grad scheme next year after I finish final year.

My fellow placement students/grads and apprentices were all lovely and super friendly. We got on very well and I loved getting together with them when we got the chance. My actual team were also pretty sociable, as were those on my wider floor in the risk function and we often went for team lunches and staff nights out together which was great.

Newcastle is on the whole a pretty reasonable place to live, work and socialise in. It has expensive parts if you go looking for them but the majority of things in Newcastle are pretty reasonable and accessible, even on a student's budget!! I didn't have any trouble in this area.

The nightlife in Newcastle is fantastic. It can accommodate whatever mood you're in. Whether you're after a few quiet drinks after work or a proper night out there is an abundance of bars, pubs and clubs to suit whatever mood. Newcastle will always be my favourite city for a night out!

There was quite a lot of opportunities to socialise outside of work and the Society's staff association often organised Society wide events. They also worked with local business to get you discounted tickets to various music events but also activities such as afternoon tea and spa trips etc. I do wish we had gone out more but unfortunately we did have work to do!