Supply Chain Management- Outbound Logistics Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement and found that I learned a great deal more than I expected to. My work was engaging and interesting, and the level of challenge was appropriate most of the time. I would however argue that occasionally I found myself with a workload too small to last me the course of the day.

I was integrated into the team and became a genuinely valued member of the company, I was never given the jobs no-one else wanted just because I was the least senior member of the team- this seems to be the case among friends that completed placements elsewhere.

Help was always available when I asked for it and if a task was taking longer than expected someone would check that I wasn't having major difficulties- this helped me to take on my role without feeling too much pressure to be perfect from the outset. When I didn't need help, my time was self-directed and I was able to complete my work uninterrupted- there was a level of trust between myself and my supervisors.

Most days saw me provided with enough work to keep me busy throughout the day, with occasional delays while waiting for feedback from my colleagues. The work completed was refreshed on a monthly basis however, meaning that depending on the pace at which tasks were completed it was possible to have a lull before the turn of the month when there was no further work to complete besides ad-hoc requests.

My work was often checked by my superiors in earlier days, but by February there were changes being made to the scope and format of reports purely from myself- I was informing my supervisors of my actions rather than seeking their permission. The work I completed was important and some of my submissions would be taken to workers far more superior than myself.

My understanding of business culture has been greatly improved by the placement as well as my time management and my work ethic both seeing a healthy increase. I feel that my university workload in my final year of study will seem trivial despite being the greatest it has been so far, and I fully expect to be able to attack the year with much greater efficiency than my first two. Beyond my degree studies I have been given a sense of direction that I will apply to my search for a career and would never have been able to find without spending the time I did at Nissan.

During my time at Nissan there were a number of organisational changes meaning that I was surrounded by slightly different people every couple of months, I found that all of them were fun, likeable people and I thoroughly enjoyed talking with them all. The people I dealt with on a less frequent basis were just as easy to talk to and I never found there was any conflict or animosity.

My predecessor didn't actually leave the company until after my arrival, so there was a 2 1/2 week handover period during which I was taken through every step of my role and my understanding was ensured. I was given a training plan and I always knew what was expected of me and why.

I was sent on numerous training courses and spent time in departments other than my own which provided measurable improvement in my understanding of the company. I was omitted however from the section's week long trip to Renault headquarters in Paris, presumably as it would be difficult to justify the inclusion of a placement student to upper management.

My predecessor is set to return to the company having applied to the graduate scheme and reportedly encountered absolutely no difficulty in assessment centres or interviews, and she was watched from her arrival with high hopes of being able to re-hire her. The impression I'm under is that were I to apply to a section related to the one I served my placement with, I would be given a glowing recommendation.

There were regular emails regarding socials and such sent out to all placements and graduates, as well as section events for Christmas/staff departure etc. No complaints.

I remained in the area I live for university (Newcastle City Centre) and found that even including commuting costs I encountered no financial difficulty over the course of the year,

Newcastle's nightlife speaks for itself and can cater to all tastes, provided you're willing to look.

There were regular events as mentioned before, and some of these extended beyond basic nights out etc.