Ecommerce Assistant Review

8/10 I enjoyed my role so much - not only it is my passion but the level of responsibility given is also beyond my expectation, it's definitely not the typical 'intern job' that I am involved with. There's real responsibiliity, exciting project to work on, and most importantly I feel heard and my opinion actually matters. There are also extra activities that my department is involved with such as walking 25km trek for charity, departmental socials, volunteering, all of which makes the experience even more exciting than just sitting on the desk, working 9-5 everyday. The department I'm in is also a very dynamic one, different areas work together very often to realise a project and this has been very enjoyable.

8/10 Most colleagues treat me just like any other employee and not merely 'interns'. I am involved in high profile meetings/projects, I get to steer and have a say in project implementations. I get to voice my opinions freely, encouraged to criticise current setup and challenged to simplify a lot of the processes. Definitely feel very fulfilling doing my placement programme here. Overall, I feel valued and heard and I get to implement my learnings be it from uni or past (part-time) jobs into the work I'm doing.

10/10 Everyone kept telling me I'm lucky to get my current manager. And indeed I am lucky. My manager, again as mentioned previously, really takes into account what I have to say, encourages me to execute my ideas, and most importantly guides me and answers my questions and curiousity! My General Manager is also very kind and supportive, I once showed an interest in a project that is not under my scope of responsibility and she kindly invited me to the kick-off discussion of this project. There are a lot of little things that might get overlooked by most people but I think my Manager and GM really showed that very humane side of the business to me. Very pleased!

8/10 I have the typical daily and weekly routines which is not 'too much' but depending on the projects or reports I'm working on, the busy-ness varies. When the project is still in planning process, it might not be awfully busy - but once the project (for example, campaign) is on going and I have to liaise and work together with different departments, then it gets more busy. However I can still manage the time so that I don't need to work overtime and I'm certainly not 'too bored' as there's always something I can proactively do.

9/10 This might also be the result of the current structure in my team as the Exec/Manager of this specific role is still absent. But I do have a lot of responsibility and when it's just me in this role and of course my First Line Manager. I try my best to think things through and carry on with my judgement - as long as I know I have justification for it, instead of contacting the FLM everytime I'm dealt with decision-making situations or if I have questions. I have steered quite an impactful project in the first quarter I'm here and I also have direct impact to any campaign we do and things surrounding the role as well. It's 100% fulfilling to be able to see your influence in a project.

9/10 This is such a steep learning curve from being a second-year student to a full-time employee. The environment I'm working in really helps me practice transferrable skills such as communication and negotiation skills, as well as more technical skills namely Excel and Analytics. These skills are definitely important and can be applied not only when I return to university next year but also after I graduate. The role-specific skills I obtain will also be very beneficial to my final year dissertation - as this is something I'm interested in researching, As well as for any studies I am planning on taking in the future.

9/10 Very dynamic and cooperative! We move around quite a lot as mentioned previously - because we need to work with other areas quite often. BMW is also flexible in a way that they allow you to work from home, no strict 9-5 job, but everyone I work with has been very responsible despite the setting! People often bring food / snacks to share as well and we often take little breaks with our team (and other teams as well) and get tea from the kitchen. Little things that make big difference, so again no strict 9-5 sitting on the desk, working.

7/10 Due to the lack of induction and new-starter processes in place, I found it quite challenging at first knowing who is responsible for what in which department. Which set me off on quite an awkward start but eventually as we work together more and more, I get a grip of the setup and the 'org chart' as well. Apart from the new-starter process that I believe is being setup and developed for the future, everything seems to work really well, I have weekly 121 with my manager to catch up on weekly performance and deliveries and to discuss any support I need.

7/10 I get to visit different agencies, attend a workshop at Amazon HQ, attended a conference, will be having a training for an analytics tool - all of which I would otherwise not have the chance to experience! Constant support in terms of personal development is also given by my manager and the teams have been very helpful as well.

9/10 Personally I see myself going back to the company even in different roles. I just love the dynamic and the working environment setup. There are exciting roles to be filled in as well. When you get in you also get a chance to try different roles which is always good for the experience.

7/10 I interact with both fellow placement students and former students and my experience have been very good. Especially with former students who have been through what we are going through now, they gave us tips and suggestions as well as support. With my colleagues, we have also been to different dinners together initiated by one of us, we also often have lunch together with the team. All good!

7/10 Not cheap but not awfully expensive either. It's around £400-500 to rent the house with several other interns, food in town is OK and there's The Meads (shopping mall) with several restaurants as well, food in the company is not as expensive as eating out and they're also good! Transport is usually by bus which is around £2-5 round trip to neighbouring town. Going to London is also quite affordable and not too far from Farnborough.

n/a I personally am not a fan of 'Nightlife' so no experience/comment for this.

7/10 Absolutely! People in the company initiate a lot of different activities from walking for charity to volunteering in event outside of the office, to dinners as mentioned before. There are also a lot of in-house volunteering opportunities for different cause, chance to lead fun projects for the department, run events, etc.