Assistant Market Manager, Accessories and Merchandise Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Renault UK. During the first couple of months I felt as if I was more of a hindrance than a help, which on reflection I can appreciate is entirely normal when you start a new job. But as my competency in the role grew, so did my confidence and conviction. This allowed me to add value to both my team and the firm, which felt really rewarding.

I was a member of cohesive team who on the whole shared common goals. I did not feel like a one year placement student at any point and had integrated into my team within several weeks. I was commended for doing well and supported when doing not so well! I couldn't have asked for more with regards to feeling valued.

My supervisor was spot on. As my role essentially involved supporting my line manager in almost everything he did, we had a very good understanding of each other's activities and status, facilitating a very productive working relationship. I knew that my interests were always being considered which made focusing on the task at hand so much easier.

After month 2, there was never a moment with nothing to do. Occasionally I was too busy, but I found my colleagues to be quite understanding if I told them that I'd have to get back to them a couple of days. I'd much prefer to be busy than quiet as it's far more stimulating and allowed me to greatly improve my prioritisation skills. There were times where I wished we had another team member as activities that would add considerable value were being omitted purely because there was not enough time in the day - I found this frustrating but I guess it's part of life in business!

Within a couple of months I was developing a commercial programme under supervision and was invoicing what felt like crazy amounts of money (which I soon came to learn was very little in relative terms!) Generally speaking, it was up to me what level of responsibility I had, which was great. Although it would have been easy to fall into the trap of taking a step back, which shouldn't be an issue if you're self-motivated.

It's difficult to quantify what I've taken away from my placement year but I'm pretty sure it's been a fantastic way to complement the academic element of my degree. I'm yet to return to university, so can't assess the effect my experience has had on my studies. As for the future, I feel as though my placement year at Renault is not only a fantastic paragraph to add to my CV. It's also allowed me to develop a variety of professional and personal skills that make me very excited for what's to come in my career.

There were around 15 placement students and several grads which was brilliant as we were all in the same position and so had a similar mindset. A lot of us are still in touch. As for this office itself, it was relatively quiet but this depends on which floor you're sat on! You get to know people very quickly so there's always opportunities for a good laugh to relieve the occasional spreadsheet gloom.

It was clear from the start that Renault's placement scheme is well-established. Human Resources always had our best interests in mind and made us feel valued. Despite working flat out they went the extra mile when it would have been far easier for them not to. 9/10 because I felt some of the training opportunities came too late in the year.

There wasn't a great deal of formal investment in me as an individual, but there were often opportunities to be taken. Again, I felt as though I was treated in the same way as my more senior peers.

Having made good pals with graduates from previous rotations of the grad scheme I've learnt a lot about the experience and they've sold it to me well. The scheme involves working in 6 positions over a 2 year period which I find very appealing as it would allow me to develop a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses whilst gaining a holistic overview of how the firm operates. After this, you move into a 'permanent' role which is likely to provide opportunities for horizontal movement after a couple of years or so. The diverse nature of the roles in which the previous grads have been positioned seems to provide a really challenging and stimulating foundation to the career of a young professional, and so it's definitely something that I am considering.

As previously mentioned, I found the social scene to be great. With so many other interns and grads, it was difficult not to meet people you related to. I've also kept in touch with my manager and other team members who I still meet up with when I'm about.

As the office is situated just inside the M25, there's not a great deal going on in the immediate vicinity. But you're soon in Watford, Uxbridge or Central London which all have different things to offer. Obviously, if you're going to live towards Central then you're not going to save many pennies. But I lived with 3 other Renault/Nissan interns in Uxbridge and found the accommodation to reasonable. Again, as you'd expect, going out in London is not cheap but worth it, in my opinion.

A 30/40 minute tube into London from work and you've got more bars and clubs than you could ever have wished for. Watford's a 20 minute drive and there's several bars and clubs there. Uxbridge is also a 20 minute drive away and Brunel Uni is there so there's a decent atmosphere but students go out on weeknights which didn't really appeal! But there's not much going on near work itself - just a few pubs.

There were on or two things put on by work, including the Christmas party which was great. Otherwise, you create the opportunities yourself which was easy given the student population.