Transport Solutions Co-ordinator Review

My work placement has been a mixture of both good and bad experiences. Throughout the year I have had a very small workload and finding things to do to fulfil a working week was often a struggle. On the other hand, I have travelled a lot with my role and met lots of new people which had been an invaluable experience.

Throughout the year , I have not felt valued and that my work was being overlooked. It is only now, towards the end of my placement that I am starting to feel that my work has been really appreciated by my manager. By other colleagues, and also customers, I have been made to feel really valuable. I have built a friendship with my closest colleague and we will continue to be friends after I have left. I have built relationships with numerous colleagues, including those who work in dealership. I have now become a key contact in my department for these people and this makes me feel very valued.

My manager is usually there for support if and when needed. Sometimes, when I have had a small workload, there hasn't been much direction from my manager and instead I have found work for myself but this has just taught me how to be proactive and use my initiative. During times when I have had some project work to undertake, I have been given more guidance and advice.

I have spent most of my placement with a very small workload. This meant that my colleague felt the need to share her workload with me. Whilst this did give me some work and allowed us to work well as a team, it did mean that I was undertaking administration work and answering emails which was not challenging. I often found myself scrolling on Linkedin, talking to other interns on Skype or doing university work to keep myself occupied. Luckily, the second half of my placement has been slightly busier with customer visits and a more challenging and time consuming project. This has also given me some variety in the role by being able to get out of the office.

When I was actually given a project, I had full responsibility of everything which was actually a great experience! It meant that I was able to demonstrate my skills and take ownership of something that will remain in the department. Within the department I have picked up more responsibilities as the year has progressed.

The Volvo Group UK really invest in their interns! I have completed: - 3 x Excel training courses (Intermediate, Advanced, Dashboard) -A 2-day presentation skills training course -Simply Trucks training These skills have helped me massively for my placement year, especially presentation skills as I have had to present across the country and as part of my placement portfolio work. This is something I can use if I have to present during my final year of university. My communication skills and confidence has come on leaps and bounds since starting my placement - I am no longer afraid to talk to strangers and understand how to communicate with a wide range of people. This will be key moving forward to a graduate career.

For the first 6 months of the placement, I was situated in a large, open plan office which was great for networking with people and creating a friendly environment. Half way through my placement, my department moved into a different office - this unfortunately is the reason I have scored so low because the office is so dull and quiet.

The tasks I actually completed were very different to those outlined on my job description. I have only had one real project across a 13-month period. For that reason I wouldn't give anything higher than a 4/10 unfortunately.

As mentioned above, the Volvo Group really invest in their interns and offering really valuable training.

Unfortunately, Volvo Group does not have a graduate scheme or specific graduate roles in the UK. There is a graduate scheme in Sweden at the head quarters but moving abroad isn't an option for everyone. I am aware that a couple of interns have returned to the company after completing university. In my role and department this isn't an option for me as the department is to small.

In the 2018/19 intake of interns there were around 22 of us. This meant that whilst everyone mingled at first, most scattered into groups - not necessarily a bad thing! I have made friends with some of the interns and we will continue to meet up after the internship. It was nice to go to the Group's Christmas party with them and spend time with each other outside of the office!

N/A - I did not live in the area that I worked in so cannot comment on this.

N/A - I did not live in the area that I worked in so cannot comment on this.

Not really..