Finance Placement Student Review

I initially found the tasks a challenge but through perseverance and determination i became more familiar with the role and found it more and more enjoyable. I would definitely recommend taking on more projects and activities from your supervisor to fully push yourself out of your comfort zone. I would also suggest asking for help at any moment because the people that work for the company are always helpful and make the experience more enjoyable.

I would definitely say that you are a valued member of the team as you are given responsibilities as if you were a full time employee. This had the benefit of boosting my career development. Given the core values of the company you definitely get a sense that team work is one of the most invaluable skills which the company uses. I was introduced and welcomed by my team very well. I definitely felt valued by my colleagues and we all worked very well as part of a team and had a good working environment. I can 100% say that not once did I feel like I was 'just a placement student'.

I was supported and guided well by my manager. I felt comfortable asking any questions I had about the work or the company in general. If I had questions regarding specific tasks they would go out of their way to show me how to do the tasks, through a step by step process. Throughout the year there has been instructions on how to complete tasks. These have been passed on to new students each year. However, these need to be updated if the processes have changed.

The tasks I was given kept me very busy on a day to day basis. If I wanted to be shown something new all I had to do was ask, as there was plenty of other tasks to be done and to get involved in.The only thing I would say is sometimes some tasks could feel quite repetitive, as some tasks were due on a daily basis such as KPI's calculations for sales, turnover and average prices.

I definitely felt valued by my colleagues and we all worked very well as part of a team and had a good working environment. I can 100% say that not once did I feel like I was 'just a placement student'. I can hand on heart say that the experience has changed me as a person as I have had to managed my time effectively to be able to take on new tasks to support the team.

The skills which i have developed such as planning and organising, communication via email and over the phone as well as having direct conversations with people will definitely benefit me in my academic studies. For instance, the transferable skills such as planning and organising will relate to how I have to plan my revision schedule for exams and submit assignments as well as organising my notes in such a way that i can easily refer back to them in future.

Overall good atmosphere with everyone more than happy to help each other. Periods of quite to ensure everyone can concentrate at the same time. There was a good balance between general conversations and work.

Good initial handover period with enough time to learn and understand the role. Maybe could update the instruction booklet as the processes have updated.

My personal development has been improved through the exposure to lots of new material and incorporation of new tasks into my daily routine.

The future prospects are very appealing I am definitely considering to apply for the UK graduate scheme because I really enjoy working for the business and with the people who work here.

At lunch time the students would sit and eat together, and go out to social events happening around the town. Overall, there was a brilliant atmosphere amongst the fellow students.

The overall cost of rent was a lot more expensive than I first thought. The cost of food and drinks was also quite cheap.

The nightlife was very good with lots of bars and pubs with all friendly staff who made you feel welcome.

I had the opportunity to play football with other work colleagues at a local site every week, which allowed me to get to know other people.