Junior Functional Analyst Review

I really enjoyed my placement, as I was challenged on a daily basis, with the various different issues that arose. Each day I had something different to do, as well as the ongoing responsibilities that I had been given. I feel I have benefited greatly from this placement and the experiences I have gained.

My team was very welcoming and immediately made me feel comfortable. They were always happy to help when I needed and asked fro assistance on an issue. The team morale was high and everybody was motivated to do the job to a high standard and find the corrective solutions to the problems that arose. Generally within the organisation, I was made to feel very welcome and part of a larger team of PepsiCo from the day I started. PepsiCo made me feel like a valued member of the organisation and as if I was actually making a difference. I have never been made to feel like just a student working for a year then leaving, when the new student arrives, from day one I have been made to feel like an important and valued employee.

My manager was fantastic in giving me all the support and guidance I needed. He was very friendly and encouraging, which made it easier to ask for help or ask for more responsibility, as he was always willing to find me something exciting to complete. All the management that I have dealt with have been brilliant, very encouraging and supported me in my development whilst on placement.

My daily work schedule was perfectly balanced. I was able to complete the work I needed to without feeling rushed or under too much pressure. As I always had support from my team colleagues and manager, I was able to complete the work, additionally I had a good balance between work that was more challenging and required me to interact with a number of different people in various different roles, as well as the day to day responsibilities that I was given to complete.

I was surprised at the level of responsibility that I was given whilst on my placement. Within a few weeks I was given the responsibility of completing the daily checks, and other various jobs, which really helped to build my confidence on the various systems that we support. Ongoing throughout my placement I was given more responsibility that was intended to challenge make and allow me to gain as much knowledge and experience as was possible. I relished the opportunities and responsibility that was given to me, because it allowed me to build my confidence and knowledge quickly by in a stable way.

I feel that the skills and training that I have gained from my placement, will help me greatly in my degree studies, as I feel it will allow me to be view my studies in a more business like viewpoint, and apply the knowledge and experince that I have gained to my degree, as I have had experience in an actual business environment. Additionally, I think that the skills and training that I have received will allow me to transition into the working world after my degree much more easily, because I have had the experience of working for a large organisation such as PepsiCo, and gained a lot of valuable knowledge that I could easily apply to different roles that I will have in the future.

The atmosphere in the office has a good balance of fun and work. The office layout allows everyone to be able to interact with the different teams, easily and quickly, without feeling like you are cant disturb someone. Everyone in the office is friendly and the working atmosphere is one that makes you want to work, because you enjoy the environment in which you are working and the people that you are working with.

I think that the overall work placement set up was really good, from the first round interviews, right through to beginning the placement and whilst completing the placement, there was and is always support from my team and the people who organised the placement. From the very first meeting at my first interview I was made to feel very welcome and at ease. The assessment centre was more relaxed yet still formal than others that I have attended which made me feel more comfortable and at ease with the whole process. Once I knew I had the placement Pepsico organised a day for all the placement students in my department, which allowed us to get to know each other and our new managers, in a less formal setting. The transition into the beginning of the role, was really well structured and informative with a two week induction programme that allowed us to learn more about the organisation from various different people in different management levels, but in a non intimidating way. Also, this helped to make me feel like I was a valued member of staff. Adding to this there was always support from the placement coordinators through the placement, meaning there was is a familiar face, that you have dealt with from the beginning og the process right through to your placement year, and especially in the beginning few weeks, which makes a big difference in your ability to settle into the job more easily and quickly.

PepsiCo as a whole is very committed to investing in their employees training and development, to help them perform their roles more easily and more efficiently. This I feel is the same with the placement students. I am given many different opportunities to gain more training and development throughout my placement, which have helped me to not only understand and perform my role better and more efficiently, but it has allowed me to develop and enhance my own personal skills, which I can take into other aspects of my studies and future career.

I think the future prospects at PepsiCo are really good, and the opportunity for me to return for one day a week when I return to university is fantastic. Which in turns means that my ability to gain a full time position within the organisation, when I finished university are greatly increased. This is something that I hope to be able to capitalise upon. This will also allow me to look at different departments within the organisation, to gain more experience and skills, whilst learning more about different departments, and areas of the organisation.

There was a really good social scene between all the placement students and the other colleague within the organisation. The fact that I lived with five of the other placement students helped to this scene. But in addition to this the existing students and colleagues were really welcoming and organised various events and nights out to help us to get to know everyone outside of the working environment. Within the working situation, there are many different opportunities to work with different teams and to gain some cross skilling opportunities. There are many opportunities to join various different forums and initiatives that the organisation is implementing, to further enhance your experience.

The cost of living Reading is good if you are living in a group, by yourself can be a little pricey! My main expense is travel to and from work. But if you live with a group of people, like the other students you can bring to cost down. Where I have been living is good for getting to know other students who are working for different companies, which is good and means there is always someone different to talk to. Theale where the office are based is a small and quiet village but Reading is less than 10 minutes away on the train, and is where most people live. also, London is only 25 minutes away on the train , which run really frequently, which is good for shopping and nights out.

The nightlife in Reading is more about the bars and restaurants, rather than clubs. But there is a large variety of different places to go and there is somewhere that will appeal to everyone, and gives you the opportunity to try somewhere different, either on a daily or weekly basis! But there is also different things to do like the cinema, comedy clubs, theatres etc.

There was loads of opportunities to get involved in various different activities outside of work, whether it was socialising with colleagues, sport or going to the cinema. Everyone is really welcoming and happy for you to tag along and get involved. There is also a wide variety of different things to do, one night there maybe a softball game, and the next a night out or a meal out somewhere. Also most teams have off sites days where you and your will go and do something outside of the office, whether it is something work related, something fun or a mixture of the two. The opportunities to socialise and get to know different people from within the your department or with people from different departments, are endless and there is always something to get involved in.