This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
Working at BMW Group has been excellent, the business culture is not as you would expect. The culture is very open and forward thinking. This is because of great communication throughout different departments, hot-desking and also a 'dress for your day' code so most people where jeans and a shirt which keeps things relaxed.
I felt like a very valued member of the team as the work I was responsible for was proper work and not just little menial tasks. There was a great focus on my self-improvement and trying out different areas within the business. I was also trusted to complete a number of tasks which were quite important and also I was treated with great respect from the go.
My manager in particular has been excellent in providing me with any guidance that I require and ensuring I am ok and that the workoad isn't too severe. Always felt comfortable to ask anyone throughout the business for help/guidance at any time. There is a very collaborative culture which makes communication throughout the business very easy and common.
On a daily basis I would find myself busy although this did fluctuate between very busy and just a normal level of work. A lot of the work in this segment/sector is very project based and hence is up and down throughout the year, some times are busier and sometimes aren't. I never found myself with nothing to do as there is always room for improvement.
I was given quite a large level of responsibility throughout my placement, which was really good and to know that I was trusted doing serious tasks. One of the main responsibilities was managing finance systems and paying suppliers and agencies from the outset which was a bid daunting especially when dealing/managing millions.
I have developed a large number of skills, mainly communication/networking, hard work ethic and an attention to detail. Also though I have gained a number of new skills from this placement including many technical and job specific skills which can only be learnt in the workplace rather than in the classroom.
The Company
The general atmosphere is very open and collaborative, there is constant communication between colleagues and due to the hot-desking you never sit in the same place twice. I think this works really well as it helps cement solid relationships with different people throughout the business and prevents everyday being the same. There is also flexible working which allows employees to work from home when needed or leave early with no issues. There is also the place for a joke which is always necessary.
The overall placement student organisation was exceptional as they take a very large number of placement students each year. Also there is a handover system where for your first month you work along side your predecessor in order to learn all the necessary skills and processes within the business. Many of the employees throughout the business did a placement here so everyone is used to the system and having placement students around.
There was a large focus on my own personal development throughout my time at BMW. There was the ability to work with and shadow different people throughout the business in order for me to broaden my overall knowledge of the business and also my curiosity. I has a personal development plan which was reviewed quarterly to see that my personal development was key.
Flexi Time
Sports and Social Club
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Above 25 days holiday
Working from home
They are very appealing as
The Culture
There was a decent social scene between the students, however the only issue is that everyone lives in different places throughout the Hampshire area so it could be quite difficult to organise things to do. Also there isn't that much to do down here in Farnborough, you need to make an effort to go somewhere else to do things e.g. Guildford, London.
The cost of living is ridiculously expensive, there are not many cheap places to rent at all that are near to the office. Hence the majority of students will commute or commute from home if possible. The south is just really expensive and it will be something that you will notice with everything from rent, bills and drinks/food.
The nightlife is pretty limited around the Farnborough/Hampshire area as there are only a couple of clubs within the local towns which require a expensive taxi to get to. There is often the availability to go out in London which is great but once again it is very expensive.
There were a fair few opportunities to get involved in for example; five a side football, running club and I think there are some others. Overall there aren't too many activities to get involved in with the busy on say a weekly basis as the majority of the employees commute from a long was to get to work.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
South West
December 2019