Sales Trainee Review

I loved my year at Johnson & Johnson Consumer Healthcare. I was part of the sales department, but also had lots of interaction with colleagues outside of sales. Johnson & Johnson had a big focus on personal development, and if you show interest, you can get lot's of opportunity to work on interesting projects. Johnson & Johnson really take care of employees well-being, and offer lots of benefits, such as free gym memberships.

My team and other colleagues were very supportive of my personal development and well-being. I would meet with my manager weekly, and could phone her anytime I needed. Everyone is always willing to help, but also listen to any ideas and questions you have. The company also allocate a buddy for each placement student, which I found really useful to ask questions relating to any topic. From day 1, everyone was welcoming, friendly, and caring.

My manager was very supportive. Pre-Covid we would have weekly catch up sessions. In these sessions we would discuss my well-being, work-load, and future goals & objectives. My manager would then always look for opportunities to get myself involved in exciting projects, whether that was within the team or outside the team. Outside of these catch-ups, my manager was always available for a call if I had any questions or concerns relating to my work.

At the start of my placement, my daily activities would compromise of learning new content and doing administrative tasks. It was overwhelming to begin with, but after a few months, I felt comfortable to take on more tasks and projects. By the end of my placement, I was running multiple projects and tasks. As the days were filled with lots of projects, the day went very quick and fast. Normal working hours would be anytime between 8/9-5/6.

At the beginning of my placement I did not get much responsibility, and my tasks were mainly administration support. After 6 months or so, I started owning my own projects, tasks and contributing more to team discussions. By the end of my placement, I had direct contact with clients/customers, and would have regular phone calls and meetings with them. Even though I had a lot of responsibility, there was always help and support if I needed it.

I learnt a variety of soft and technical skills. I believe the soft skills will really help me complete my degree. Some of these skills include; leadership, time-management, organisational, inter-personal, resilience, and dedication. For example, I worked in teams frequently during my year at Johnson & Johnson. I learnt the importance of listening to ideas, organising meetings, and being proactive on your own tasks. This skill will be very valuable when I do teamwork modules in my degree.

Johnson & Johnson had a very nice atmosphere. Everyone was relaxed, kind, and caring. Employees were always encouraged to take breaks, go outside, get hot or cold drinks. My department had a dedicated team fun, where fun events were organised on a monthly basis. For example, quizzes, baking, and many more. I felt the atmosphere in the office was very casual, yet formal enough to get your work tasks completed. The company also ran volunteering events.

My placement was organised. Before i joined, there was an induction day where we met current placements and staff members. This was a great opportunity to meet staff members in your team, and also ask questions. Once I joined, I had a 2 week induction plan. This timetable involved meeting staff from different departments, learning about different business essentials, and meeting my peers. There was also informal assesments throughout the year to see how I was getting on.

The company take time to invest in personal training and development. You had the opportunity in your weekly catch ups with your manager to discuss short and long term goals and objectives. She would then support you to get in contact with the right people, where you could have the opportunity to get involved in projects. As long as you show you are committed and hard-worker, then the company are very good at supporting your own goals.

As the company has many different departments and sectors, there is lots of opportunities to get a broad experience. For example, there is quite a lot of flexibility to move between marketing and sales if you wish so. There is also flexibility to move to different sectors. For example, from consumer healthcare, to pharmaceutical. The company also offer a graduate scheme, which is 2 years. After the graduate scheme, there is flexibility on what department/team you want to go into next.

There was a really good social scene amongst all the placement students. At the consumer healthcare sector, there are 25 placements, and therefore there were lots of opportunities for social events. OUtside of work, placements would frequently meet. Inside of work, it was always nice to get a coffee and break with one of the placement students. When we first joined, there were also interactive sessions, to ensure the placement students got to know eachother.

Cost of living was reasonable, but I think I was lucky with the house. Maidenhead isnt the cheapest of places. However, you can get shared accommodation for fairly cheap.

Nightlight in Maidenhead isnt great. However, reading is a 10 minute train away. Trains also go frequently and throughout the night. You also have the option to go into London. However, this is quite expensive.

There were lots of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. For example, there was a team fun team, that organised fun events for the employees. You could also get involved in lots of charity work and events. There is also opportunity to go on a week volunteering trip abroad. J&J give you 5 days of volunteering paid leave.