Sales Co-ordinator Review

Overall, my placement was very enjoyable. The opportunity to put the theory I had learnt during academic study into practice whilst building relationships with clients & suppliers and gaining experience of the sales process was very beneficial.

Whilst on placement I felt very valued by my colleagues. As the business is small with around 35 staff I got to know everyone and what their role was within the company. Being part of the sales team meant I could also look on the sales board to see how much my team and myself as an individual was contributing towards the companies success.

The management are easily accessible as their desks are situated alongside everybody else in the company (i.e. they don't have separate offices). This means they are always there to help if you need support or guidance and are always happy to do so.

As I worked with the Sales Manager, who had one of the highest monthly targets, there was always something for me to do. When there are times that you aren't very busy then there is always someone within the office that could do with some help. Your workload really depends on who you work with, some interns are given more work to do than others.

You are given a lot of responsibility as a Sales Co-ordinator. It is your job to manage all your teams orders from the ordering being placed through to delivery. This means you are responsible for approving order acknowledgements & artwork approvals, making sure the supplier delivers the products to the customer on time and resolving any issues that may arise. During the placement you will also be given your own clients that you are responsible for dealing with. You will also be required to cover you Business Development Managers work whilst they are on holiday or away at meetings.

I have learnt and developed many different skills which will help me in the future. These include knowledge of the sales process, sales practices, database management, the use of prospecting software, task scheduling, order management, product knowledge and many more. I have also improved my communications skills and confidence when dealing with different stakeholders.

The atmosphere in the office is professional but enjoyable. The majority of the staff are young and there are around 15 interns. Everyone gets along well and your able to have a laugh along the way.

The company has been offering work placements for many years so the set up is very organised. You company offers around 15 placements a year across 5 departments. You are given accomodation (with bills paid), travel to and from work etc

As a Sales Co-ordinator you are given an initial two weeks training. After this you learn whilst doing the job and from the help you work alongside.

If you impress during your placement there is the opportunity to come back and work as a Business Development Manager when you finish you degree. You will then have your own sales target, your own accounts to manage and your own intern.

As there are a number of interns in the company and you all live together (across 4 houses) there is a good social scene which is very similar to being at university. Every Friday everyone would have a night out in Maidenhead, Windsor or Reading. There is also the opportunity to play 5-a-side football during the week.

As accomodation, bills & broadband is paid for you only have to work about buying food and socialising. There are many convenience stores in the area and a Sainsburys in the city centre of Maidenhead. In my opinion these were quite expensive but there is an Asda nearby in Slough and in High Wycombe which are about 15 mins drive away. In terms of socialising costs, you will pay around £3-3.50 for a beer. If you budget well then you will easily have enough money for food and a good night out during the weekend.

The nightlife in Maidenhead isn't the best. There is only a couple of clubs and a handful of bars but they are usually quiet. However, Windsor and Reading are about 20 minutes away and have a wider selection of places to go which are all busy. Depending on how many people go out, a return taxi cost around £10 each.

The company organise 5-a-side football every week which the majority of the lads at work get involved in. There is also an industry 5-a-side tournament once a year in Birmingham. The girls had the opportunity to play Badminton on a weekly basis.