Linehaul Student Placement Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the 12 month work placement, I was given the opportunity to learn and develop myself. My role allowed me to work with individuals and teams across multiple departments throughout the business. I was also fortunate to have a variety of work involving different projects which kept me engaged in the placement.

The placement students were treated in the same way as all other staff members, allowing me to feel a part of the company. I was able to meet some great people across different locations within the company who valued my skills and allowed me the opportunity to gain insights from them.

Support and guidance from my manager was always available, whether it was for support with a small task or larger guidance on a project. This is especially highlighted during the initial period of joining the company, whereby I had a 13 week induction plan, allowing for weekly discussions with my manager around my progress or any issues that I had.

The workload throughout the placement varied, depending on what projects I was a part of. There was a perfect balance of workload where some days I was more busy and other days I had the opportunity to work on longer term projects. I never felt as though I had nothing to do.

The amount of responsibility that I was given varied depending on the nature of the work, which I feel was beneficial for me. There were some tasks/ projects where I was given sole responsibility and accountability for, and other aspects where I was carrying out a task as part of a larger team.

There are a large amount of skills that were developed throughout the placement, with many opportunities to learn new skills. My excel skills developed dramatically, there are things I have learned on excel that I didn't know were possible.I was given the opportunity to attend a 2 day project management course, to learn the fundamentals that I could apply to my degree.

The working environment within the head office is a great environment. It is relaxed with a nice atmosphere.

The overall placement was well organised, including the perfect balance between a structure and role that I was following, without being too rigid not to allow for independent miscellaneous tasks. As mentioned, the 13 week induction plan was well-structured allowing me quickly develop an understanding of the overall business, meaning I didn't feel lost or confused.

As mentioned, all placements were given the opportunity to attend a two day project management fundamentals course which we were able to apply to our jobs. There was also a workshop ran to understand how to calculate Tax/NI. Additionally there were opportunities for e-training activities throughout the year that allowed me to develop further and gain a greater understanding of the company.

The integration with FedEx would offer an exciting time to be at the company, with new opportunities arising. The company do not currently offer a structured graduate scheme, so the future employment prospects would depend on the opportunities available at the time. Overall, it is a company that I would be happy to work for.

There was a good social scene between all of the placements as there was a large number of us based out of the head office. Although we were in different departments and worked in different areas of the office, we generally went to lunch together daily, including both eating at the canteen or walking into the town for lunch.

I was commuting locally from home therefore wouldn't know specific cost of living in Atherstone, however it would be cheaper than living in a major city.

The head office is based in Atherstone, which doesn't generally have a night life such as clubs or bars, the nearest towns being Nuneaton and Tamworth. There is a train directly to both or these, or alternatively to Birmingham for more of a city nightlife.

There were opportunities outside of work that I was aware of but didn't generally get involved in. For example, TNT are involved in the London Marathon, therefore a group of employees run the marathon each year which one of the placements got involved in. There was also a weekly TNT running club.