Marketing Operations Placement Review

I have loved my placement year at MSD. Like any student I was skeptical about having a year in industry even with a strong passion for marketing however I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences.

One of my main goals of obtaining a placement was to ensure I was valued as an equal employee rather than a student on placement. Being valued was one of the main reasons I chose to apply for a placement with MSD. The feedback and experiences of employees was extremely positive and something I wanted to be a part of. I have experienced a lot this year and every one of my team has acknowledged, valued and supported my input, something that can be rare in larger corporate environments.

From the beginning of my placement my colleagues, manager and mentor all invested time to ensure I was comfortable. Collectively they ensured guidance and support were always available if I required it. It turned out I only really required supervision for the first couple of months getting settled into the role and responsibilities. Once my own ability and competence in the role increased, they allowed me to continue independently. Although they were still there if required, it meant a lot to be trusted to be self-reliant.

The work load will vary on the placement and the enthusiasm of the student. I was extremely ambitious to start placement and experience work in industry therefore I was extremely pro-active when it came to additional work and support projects. There is no pressure however, you will have your set work load and it is up to you whether you want to search for additional work opportunities. In doing this, it did mean I was busy 100% of time on my placement, the first couple of weeks however were a lot less busy as it was predominately focused on getting comfortable and taking the time to learn processes.

In the initial months of placement I stuck to the role and responsibilities specified in the placement brief. As I became more comfortable and competent in my role and responsibilities my manager allowed me to continually contribute more to different projects and departments within the company suited to my academic background. Displaying pro-activeness and willingness to get involved meant colleagues and brand teams began valuing my contributions which in turn meant my daily responsibilities increased through being involved in a range of small to large projects.

The skills and experience of this placement year will be instrumental to both my future studies and any employment opportunities. My whole skill set has been enhanced through practice, training, feedback and industry application. The marketing industry is incredibly competitive and fast paced, having the knowledge and skills required to work effectively and efficiently in a corporate marketing environment will undoubtedly help to motivate me through my final year studies and onto graduate employment.

My department had a great atmosphere, once the desk space was turned into open plan the whole environment was more inviting and encouraged interactivity among colleagues. Even though there were multiple departments within one floor of the head office and people from different professional backgrounds, everyone was perceived as equal and approachable.

The placement was very well organised, I did have a new manager by the time I joined however they were very supportive of my development and had similar interests in marketing. Although there was a structure and brief to my placement I was given the freedom to develop my responsibilities and contribute to different projects relevant to my academic background.

MSD invested greatly in my training and development whether it was learning new online software's, training days, shadowing colleagues and overall application of my own knowledge and experience in real working situations. If there was something I wanted to try, learn or experience more of, my manager and colleagues would always find a way to make it happen.

I am definitely looking to return to MSD in future, I have experienced different employment roles in multiple industry's however I truly feel I could contribute greatly to and develop far within the industry and specifically MSD.

We had a very mixed group of students from different backgrounds however we instantly connected through mutual understanding and respect. We had multiple days out, meals, celebrated birthdays and attended sports clubs. The same with colleagues, once friendships were formed we would attend music gigs, shopping trips, host evening meals and game nights.

Hertfordshire is more expensive than where I am originally from in the west midlands however the salary will reflect that. Being so close to London, the cost of living will naturally increase however it wasn't ridiculous or unreasonable.

As the main head office is in a smaller time there are a few nice pubs and bars in the area however not a massive night life. London is only a 40 minute train journey away so you would usually go there for a decent night out.

There were lots of sports and social clubs you can get involved in outside of work.