Financial Analyst Review

I had a really enjoyable and challenging Placement Year whilst working at Waitrose. This Placement experience allowed me to gain invaluable practical business experience that has enabled me to develop a professional business confidence when in the work place. It was a great company to work for with a completely unique business culture and ethos.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues whilst completing my Industrial Placement Year. I was able to build really strong relationship with members of my team and as a result of this felt really appreciated for the work that I completed. My hard work was really recognised by the team and I was always rewarded for good work.

There was a huge amount of support available whilst completing my Industrial Placement Year with Waitrose. Not only did I have a line manager who was responsible for setting objectives and ensuring that I was learning and developing whilst working with Waitrose I was also provided with a mentor who managed my progress day to day. Not only this I had full support from my team if I had any concerns or needed guidance.

Whilst completing my Industrial Placement Year I was extremely busy on a day to day basis. Initially I found that I was given too much responsibility early on and started to struggle with the workload which was quite daunting however after raising this issue with my line manager it was quickly resolved to suit my needs and ensure that I felt comfortable and happy at work.

I was given a huge amount of responsibility whilst completing my Industrial Placement Year with Waitrose. I was given a number of tasks where I was fully accountable for my actions, the decisions I made and the outcome of these decisions. It was a great chance for me to manage my own time and take responsibility for work that was business critical.

It has given me the opportunity to develop my understanding of the Finance world as before I started my Placement I was completely unaware of the variety of jobs that were available to me in Finance. As a result of this it has allowed me to explore where I would like to take my career in the future and I now have a really sound idea of the career I would like to pursue and the qualifications and experience I will need to do this. Finally I have gained valuable business skills and knowledge that I will not only be able to transfer to my University Degree but I will also be able to use to unlock future opportunities.

There was a really great atmosphere in the office that I worked in everyone was extremely friendly and very welcoming. The office was quite big but there was a real sense of family between everyone who worked there.

The Industrial Placement Year at Waitrose was extremely well structured. I was provided with the opportunity to go on a number of development days to learn a variety of skills and ensure that I was making the most out of my Placement Experience. Not only this but my Finance Scheme was also really well thought out I was provided with the opportunity to gain experience in a number of different Finance areas and was provided with a vast variety of jobs and tasks.

Waitrose really invested time in my training and development not only did I attend a number of Industrial Placement development days I also attended a number of training days and sessions with my team. I was encouraged to create objectives and progression plans with my manager and assess how well I was meeting these. This ensured that I was making the most out of my experience.

Through completing the Industrial Placement scheme if you perform well you are provided with the opportunity to fast track parts of the application stage for the Graduate scheme. Not only this completing the Industrial Placement Year allows you to network through the business building valuable business contacts for the future.

There was a good social scene between all the Industrial Placement students and also my Team. I would often go on activity days/nights out with the Industrial Placement students and I would regularly go for a team lunch or dinner.

I lived in Reading so it was fairly reasonable. There was plenty to do and lots of places to eat which was all affordable which made working in the area fun.

Reading has a great nightlife and also lots of bars. I often went out with the other Industrial Placement students or my team which made working in Reading very social.

There were lots of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. Waitrose is part of the John Lewis Partnership which means that they offer a number of discounted activities and events to their employees. This could be anything from quiz nights to days at Thorpe Park. There was also plenty of activities organised which I could go and enjoy with my team, my friends and also the other Industrial Placement students.