Account Specialist Review

On the whole really enjoyable. Being based in head office was great for networking and I was able to work on a range of projects including graduate schemes, event management and supporting the client sites, which gave me a vast learning experience. During peak times, it was particularly hard but very valuable for learning and development.

I had a good team around me in RIS head office who I felt I could go to if I was struggling, and I was also able to support and help. I felt they valued my hard work but also recognised that I might need extra support due to my lack of experience.

In my first month, I had weekly catch ups with the site lead. After the first month, I had monthly 1-2-1s which lasted approx 1 hour to discuss my developments and challenges over the previous month, and my MAP goals for future. This meant we could work on areas I was struggling on, or if there was areas I wanted to develop we could begin to implement these into my plan.

Always having multiple campaigns in, we were always very busy meaning sometimes overtime was required. In times when we are not in campaign, our office would offer support to the wider business so we could remotely help them in their ramp up/peak times. This ensured we were always busy but also supported client sites.

Myself and the other placement student were given as much responsibility as a permanent member of staff. We were often 'lead' on recruitment campaigns, and were responsible for the organising and running of the annual corporate events working directly for the MD. I represented the company and our client companies offsite at a variety of events.

I am writing my dissertation on a topic that I discovered on placement year, and will be using the knowledge gained of the recruitment cycle to do this. Other things I have gained which will support me is greater knowledge of myself, my weaknesses and my learning styles. It has also helped me understand the field i want to work in when i graduate.

As the office was HQ and there was a lot of senior people there, it was often quite serious however everyone was friendly and kind, and a lot of people from different areas from the business often worked from there which still made it a nice place to work and a good opportunity for networking.

Considering we were the first placement year within RIS, the scheme was very well organised and we felt well supported from the start, including an induction book, attending a RIS and RUK induction and getting appropriate training. I was aware from day 1 who to go to if i had any queries.

I attended a range of trainings throughout my year, including parts of the recruitment process but also for personal development. I could see from others within the business that the company are very willing to support the development of those who want to progress and go far, with CIPD sponsorship and Personal effectiveness training.

Although RIS dont do grad schemes, the MD has made it clear we are welcome back into the business when we graduate. For me, however, this would depend on the location of opportunities available however I know it is a great company to work for and am definitely considering it.

There was only 4 placement students, however I lived with the other student who was based in my office so we formed a great friendship and went out together in our new city. When the other students visited, we got on well and went for a drink. My office was quite small, however a few colleagues were around my age bracket so we went out together and got quite close. Although there wasn't a lot to do in the city we were in, we made the most of it and had fun. The whole team went on the occasional night out, for food and drinks.

My rent was similar to what I payed at university, so was not a shock to me, however bills were very expensive. We lived relatively close to the city centre, so taxis to and from town was cheap. I generally never found that I was short of money or struggling.

As we worked in Hartlebury, we lived in Worcester which was quite a quiet and not student-like city. There was 2 or 3 clubs in the city, however there was not much opportunity to go anywhere else. There was nice bars and we could get to Birmingham for a night out via train which only took 45 minutes.

I did not take up many activities, my main focus outside of work was learning to drive.