Customer Assistance Center - Placement Student Review

My placement went far beyond my expectations and I enjoyed it immensely from day one. I have constantly had work to do and projects to complete or be a part of. I have never really been treated as a student within the office and was given work that impacted on the day to day running of the business and the customers.

I felt like part of the team within the first two weeks on my placement. My colleagues were helpful, friendly and really welcoming. They all worked hard to make sure I understood the department and each persons role within it which helped me massively with coming to terms with my new role. I was also encouraged to ask questions and get involved in conversation in the office.

The support and encouragement I received from my managers was brilliant. From the beginning of my placement I have been offered so many opportunities so that I have been able to get a well rounded view of the department I work and further to that the division I am part of within the company. My managers had weekly review meetings with me which helped me stay focused, on track and gave me the chance to see my own Improvement over the course of my placement.

Most days I had a steady flow of day to day task, when it became quieter I was able to work on some of the projects given to me by my managers. This meant that I always had work to complete and as soon as I didn't I was able to speak to my managers and they introduced more projects. Each project was slightly different so I didn't get bored or complacent doing the same work all the time.

I was given the same responsibility as the other employees on my team, I communicated with customers on a daily basis and completed tasks that were curtail to the running of the business. I also completed projects around the work of some government agencies for the UK, Europe and US.

My work ethic has changed completely. I have become much more motivated, organised and task focused. Working to specific hours each day has made me much better at time management and knowing how much time I should spend on each task, these skills will help me massively when I return to University as I will have a better idea of how to plan my time, I will know what working environment I work best in and I will be able to have better control over the focus on tasks. I have learnt lots of business specific things which helped with my day to day working, although these may not contribute directly to my degree they may impact me in jobs in the future.

The atmosphere was really friendly and with there being 8 people in the office it was easy to work in. There were often jokes thrown around and general discussions during the day. Everyone got on really well so the conversation was often very light hearted.

Right from the interview stages everything has been really well organised and I have been informed of changes and relevant information right the way through.

I was sent on a number of training courses, trade shows and team building events where I gained valuable knowledge to help me with my day to day job. My overall knowledge of the company had improved massively and training courses helped me understand different elements around the company. A lot of time and effort has been invested into making sure that I gain the best possible experience from my placement.

Employment prospects at this company are hugely appealing, with the opportunities they have given to me and the ones I have observed employees receiving to improve skills and get more involved in different areas throughout the company and the constant development opportunities on offer.

The students did have occasional get togethers and event inside and outside of the working environment.

The cost of living was pretty standard, obviously housing was more expensive than it is at University but when you are earning a monthly wage it makes it much easier to budget and cover these costs.

There were a number of large towns near by and a rail link which took about 40 minutes into London so there was plenty to do, Having a car is ideal as the nearest train station is about 5 miles away although there were regular buses.

As there is a number of towns close by there are lots of opportunities to get involved in different things. There were a number of sports and social clubs run by the company or you can take it upon yourself to find some within the community.