Analyst Used Vehicle Remarketing Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at Renault UK. Everyone in the office was very friendly when I first started and always had time to explain things and check I was OK. I had a very good relationship with my manager who was always appreciative of my work. Throughout the year I encountered numerous challenging situations which has given my experience and confidence for my future career. I was in a very versatile role which included project management, negotiation & data analysis so I was never bored.

As I worked in the used car department which is a subsidiary of the much larger sales department any work I did was greatly appreciated by both my manager and the team. As part of my role I had to work closely with the marketing department who I felt valued my contribution.

I was given the perfect balance of support and independence. At the start of my placement I needed quite a lot of guidance as an introduction to the role. Despite my manager working from home quite often, he was always contactable and if he was on holiday others would try to help. Occasionally, I would be given tasks from higher level management without enough guidance or support.

I would very rarely be sitting at my desk with nothing to do. At the beginning of placement there are occasions where my manager/ team would be very busy so I was given some reading about the industry and competitors. There were also times where I was very busy and had to work extra hours to make sure the work was completed. This tends to be the nature of the automotive industry, with companies trying to hit monthly/ quarterly objectives.

I was given a lot more responsibility than expected. I was managing projects that were worth a lot of money to Renault, such as the ambassador program where 600 cars were distributed to dealers. My monthly reporting was distributed to the whole of Europe as it was used to assess Renault's competitive position. In my last 2 months I was involved in designing a used car program to be presented to the board and implemented across 140 dealers.

I received lots of training on Microsoft Excel as the majority of my reporting was done using that program. This is a useful skill that future employers will value. I have become far more confident at dealing with difficult situations and working under pressure. My time management is greatly improved as I had to work to deadlines and around meetings.

The atmosphere in the office was a lot my friendly than I expected. Everyone in the sales department was friendly and sociable despite working under intense pressure at times. The office did not feel like a work place at times (despite everyone working very hard) and I made a lot of friends at Renault who I continue to keep in touch with.

The organisation of my placement was very good. I was given a 3 week induction by my manager which would of been done by my predecessor if I had one. We were taken on product days to introduce us to all the different cars and I was taken to external meetings to help me understand how we work with our partners. I had meeting with HR & my manager to check my placement was going well and see if there was anything that I could improve on. An area where Renault is particularly weak is IT organisation. When I started my laptop did not have adequate software or internet access which took a few weeks to sort out.

The majority of my development and training was achieved by working with my manager rather than the company itself. Renault offered Excel & Powerpoint training where it was needed and I set objectives with my manager every 6 months. My manager did request additional training for me to improve my presentation skills, but this was not made available by HR.

Renault offer a graduate scheme with an intake of 3/4 people each year. I will be applying to go back to Renault and we get fast tracked to the assessment center stage of the application process.

The social scene at Renault was very good. As the Nissan office is next door we also integrated with their placement students. We were made to feel very welcome by the graduates at Renault and we would often go out on weekends. There was weekly football at a local school as well as an 11 a side Renault football team. Throughout the year there were charity quizzes and departmental dinners as well as a huge Christmas party.

The Renault office is located in Maple Cross, Rickmansworth. Me and a colleague decided to live in Rickmansworth to be close to work and minimize the commute. However, as this is a 20 min train from Marylebone and has good links to the M25 the cost of living and rent in particular is expensive. Our 2 bed unfurnished flat was £860 pcm. We tended to go into central London for drinks and meals which is expensive. Alternatively we could go to Watford or Uxbridge.

There is no nightlife around the renault office as it is in a small town called Maple Cross. The nearest areas with any nightlife are Uxbridge or Watford, both around a 20 minute drive. Alternatively you could get the tube from Rickmansworth to central London.

I was involved in the Renault 11 a side football team as well as the weekly 5 a side at a local school. I also got the chance to go on a Williams F1 partner day, meet the drivers and learn about the team. This was an unforgettable experience. Renault also has a box at the emirates for which there are monthly prize draws.