Assistant, Customer & Network Support Review

On a daily basis - I publish some reports for the department and I answer Live Chat/eBay cases for customers on a daily rota, and I order Owners Manuals for Customers. However my day-to-day role is very limited, as I mostly work on Project initiatives for the department. This may involve scoping out small improvement opportunities for the department, which can be turned into a project, or supporting large-scale projects through documentation governance, meeting organising, and handing over/reviewing the project.

I have developed my project management skills in identifying what a problem is, how large the gap it to reaching the ideal situation, identifying my stakeholder groups, identifying risks and creating countermeasures, building an Action Plan and gaining initial consensus early on. Other skills I have developed is my analytical skills through the context of a business world (rather than pure isolated theory), my time management skills in managing multiple projects/tasks, and my Microsoft Excel Skills.

I was given responsibility over smaller processes within the department - which provided a small/medium benefit for the department. This included following up on actions from data insight, designing Project Handover and reviewing project impacts. I was also given responsibility for small scale projects, that I created from my own discovery of problems within the department. I also had a working relationship with the Institute of Customer Services, so I could drive into their reports and ask further questions with our Account Manager. This meant that I became the face of multiple aspects in our department, rather than purely supporting my line manager.

I received a lot of guidance and support from my team - in particular my manager and a graduate, who acted as my mentor. They would help with certain projects, if I was struggling to formulate the correct solution or if it involved technical expertise. They also coached me throughout the year in my soft skills and project management skills. This coaching really helped me to develop as a person. For instance, I was a perfectionist at the start of my Placement, but now I know how to manage those negative behaviours that could have caused me stress/overworking/alienating stakeholders with detail.

The culture is very hard working, and strive for innovation and change in order to keep up with market pressures. However, this isn't a culture that drives one into the ground - there are many support mechanisms that make the work rewarding - such as flexible working arrangements, canteen and gym, employee initiatives to get involved in and a casual dress on Fridays. The culture strives for development in people, which I appreciate massively, as it means that people can learn the business in depth over multiple years.

I really enjoyed my placement. To be thrown into a challenging environment, in a reactive department that is seeking a transformative change, and to be a valued member of the wider team has really made me feel rewarded, and I would love to come back after Placement. The Placement has made me realise that I want to work in a customer-facing role, in order to directly impact the behaviours and experience of our customers. Any general frustrations came down to business factors that were outside of my control, and therefore I can't penalise my experience because of that.

Yes

You do not need to be a "petrol-head" or have a huge background of cars or even own a car, to excel and get the most out of the placement with Toyota. Everything is easy to pick up about the models, it's how you work to sell and transform those offerings - which doesn't require high-level vehicle knowledge/experience. So don't lie to impress anyone! You can learn about the models as a self-development throughout your placement, you're not expect to know everything from Day 1.