Fleet Finance Analyst Review

I have had a very good time on my placement. My job as Fleet Finance Analyst was challenging and gave me a good level of responsibility. I also worked with a good team. There is a large number of undergrads also on the placement (around 80), so there are plenty of people to socialise with and I have made many friends for life. This placement has set me up well for future job prospects.

I am very close to my colleagues. As I said previously they are friends that I will have for life. The people at Vauxhall are very friendly and inclusive and involve everyone - if you want to be. Fun culture and fun friendly people.

I have been given the perfect amount of support and guidance by management and my supervisor within my job role. Due to everyone being so friendly it is easy to go and get support and guidance when you need it and everyone is happy to help within departments. A lot of the higher management were undergraduates, so they understand that you are not as experienced, or have no experience in the workplace at all and therefore will need guidance.

A very good balance. There is always more work to do. People are happy to give you more work if you go and ask for it.

In my particular job as Fleet Finance Analyst, I held a very high level of responsibility. I am generally in charge of the work that I have and I only really go to my manager for approval or to discuss decision making tasks that I feel need his guidance. Very good level of responsibility has been given this year.

In degree studies, the skills I have received will assist me in time keeping, creating schedules and getting in to a routine. I am also basing my dissertation on Vauxhall therefore this placement has given me a large base of knowledge to base my investigation upon. My experience has also helped me in deciding what future career path I want to take as Vauxhall do allow you to take time out of your job and take time in other departments, for example I have also been in legal. They have given us future skills workshops such as presentation skills and interview skills workshops alongside driver safety training. I also feel that I have received great experience in how you should behave in the workplace and in meetings. Great skills for life have been gained here.

Very easy going, but passionate about the company and the job. Light hearted but serious when needed! Lots of football competitions!

Quite well organised, sometimes the variety of perks differs from department to department which is a downfall. Some undergrads get to go abroad and use the company cars, depending on job role and if you need to, but some don't, which is what I would say is a problem, but then different departments don't necessarily need these perks. The placement has been well organised, generally it is organised by other undergrads, so if you have a problem it is easy to go and talk to them about it and get things changed.

Quite good range of workshops that could be used in the future: Excel Workshop Drive Safety Training Presentation Skills Interview Skills Chance to go around other departments Chance to go out into the field with full time employees Chance to shadow managers Community project (going into schools and teaching them about jobs at Vauxhall)

Pretty good. This is classed as a year long interview. My manager and supervisor were both undergraduates. One guy from the year before me has came back to work full time for Vauxhall. Another lady in my department came back as a graduate. All around the company there are a lot of graduates who were once undergraduates. If you make a good impression it is likely that you may receive a call in the future if there is a place. BUT there is no graduate programme so you can't bet on it.

Very good social scene. There are around 80 undergraduates on the placement. If you work in Griffin House, there are a lot of undergraduates to socialise with. I live in a house of 10 undergraduates so it is never lonely. I would say this is perhaps the best placement I have heard of for social scene as there are so many undergraduates. The undergraduates do a lot of trips away and to other cities on weekends.

It is I would say pretty cheap here. Being so close to London (only 25mins on train and £9 with a railcard return on the weekend) but not having to pay the same cost of living in terms of rent and going out is good. Normal prices. Rent is £360 per month inclusive of bills, this is the most expensive it gets. You can walk everywhere and there are a lot of people who drive, so it is easy to get around.

Nightlife in Luton is okay. It is not great, there is a pub called the Red Lion, which is nice and undergraduates tend to go out in Luton on a Thursday to Yates and Liquid. On the weekends Undergraduates tend to get a train to London or St Albans or Harpenden, as London is only 25minutes on a train and on the weekend trains run all night. Nightlife is good, there are a lot of parties and a good social scene as there are so many undergraduates. A lot of the Undergraduates organise trips to other cities with each other. We also organised a skiing holiday to Bulgaria to the festival Horizon.

There are some activities such as the gym and football, but there wasn't a great range of activities. I think if you went looking for activities though around Luton you would easily be able to find them. Lots of football competitions that many people won!