Associate Review

It was a really good, well rounded placement year where I managed to experience a variety of different projects and work alongside some great people.

Team members always re-inforced the principle that I wasn't just a resource. This resulted in making some great relationships throughout the year and I look forward to developing these relationships further in the future.

I was always given a good briefing before starting a project. Good investment has been made in regards to the training for all placement students and graduate joiners.

The nature of project work means there will rarely be the perfect balance, where the majority of the time was busy rather than being bored. If you managed your time well this was often not a major issue and there is support from management to promote a good work/life balance.

I felt like the perfect level of responsibility was given to me on my placement year. This is because I felt like an integral member of the team as my work (after amendments) resulted in the final deliverable, however I didn't feel under unbearable pressure as it did have to go through adequate stages of review first. There is a strong emphasis on placement students being given the same responsibility as new graduates and I certainly found this to be the case.

I developed a lot of transferable skills throughout the year. The main thing that I'll take to final year is my improved commercial awareness and understanding of what is required of me at graduate level.

The atmosphere in the office was ideal, where you could have a laugh but there is also a strong focus on getting the job done. Despite this focus, I always felt at ease and able to ask questions.

The organisation of the placement was incredibly good in my department. There was a clear support structure and regular catch ups with our manager, co-ordinators and buddies. If there was any issues then I knew exactly who to go to and was confident that they would action it as appropriate. There were also scheduled meetings with the centralised placement team to inform us of placement processes and collect feedback.

Various training sessions were held throughout the year and there is a lot of support on the job.

Got a job offer which I quickly accepted!

Within my department, there were 6 placement students and we regularly went out for meals. This was really good as it gave us a chance to experience London.

It is London and it is always expensive.

There are a lot of bars etc. nearby, so it is what you make of it really.

There are lots of societies/clubs to join, be it football or table tennis.