Customer Support Placement Review

AT some points through the year, I felt like I didn't have enough work to fill my role, so I activiely had to go out and find other experience within the company. Overall though, I felt like my year went well.

Sadly, I got placed in a office pod away from my team shortly after I started, although this wasn't a problem for my role itself, it didn't do anything to help me fit in and feel like a part of the team, I felt distanced throughout the year.

At the start of my year, my manager worked within my team, along with a team leader and myself there was 5 of us. Sadly, my manager got a promotion and moved roles, although he was still my development manager, I felt like I lost my way a bit in day to day activities as he would be the one to deal with me on a frequent basis setting tasks etc.

Before my manager changed roles, I felt as if I had a good balance, I always managed to work over the 37.5 hours contracted but not too many hours, I felt this was expected within the company. However, moving to the last 6 months, the work I have had has gone up and down and sometimes I have felt it a struggle to fill the time.

I was given a fairly extensive project to set up and develop throughout the year, this was of high responsibility and I would feed into my managers. I was also asked to organise various meetings and activities.

I definitely think that my placement has given me plenty of skills to take away including technical skills, customer service skills and also plenty of personal gains. It ha also given me an insight to the company and what I would and wouldn't like to do when if I were to join again.

Very quiet on the whole, unless I went to sit in my team's pod or go and see someone else, I would never make conversation, it wasn't that type of environment.

It was fairly well organised, especially when I joined, training was put in place and tasks set, it tailed off towards the end of the year, but I think that comes with being regarded as an actual employee.

If I ever asked for any help that would be fine and people would usually take the time to help me in some way or another. But as for formal training, sadly this was not forthcoming.

I am unsure about this, I don't think the company are in the position of taking on graduates at the moment, certainly not offering them straight after placements anyway. But I would join the company after I graduate, in another role.

All the students got along really well, with regular social events outside work. That's the benefit of being employed by a big company. However, as much as I tried to motivate my team to an outside work activity, they were not interested.

Darlington is fairly cheap to live and socialise, although not the nicest place in the world.

The one club in Darlington, you know everyone will be in there on a Friday night. But if you fancy a change, there's York, Newcastle or Durham just a train ride away.

There was a few activities organised by work, mostly aimed at family events, although opting not to do them, I chose to do activities that the student group would organise.