Commercial Assistant Review

I really enjoyed my time at TfL, not only in the role within I was working, but in being a member of the TfL Community. TfL have a great ethos and spirit, and a huge diversity within their work force, and I've loved getting to know so many different people over the course of the year.

Though it varies from manager to manager, I've been lucky enough to be involved in some really meaninful work in my year. My managers have respected me and valued me as a resource able to take some of their workload. While some of the more menial tasks are inevitable when you're at the bottom of the food chain, I feel as though I've had plenty of opportunity to be involved in work to conteract this. Having said all of this, as with any placement, it depends to a degree on the department you are placed within.

My managers at TfL were great. As a YII or Graduate you receive a good support network consisting of a buddy, a senior manager to act as a sponsor, a line manager to manage you day-to-day, as well as the network of graduates and YIIs that are always on hand to help you out. TfL operate a structured review system enabling you to speak honestly about your development, and have been very willing to send me on plenty of training courses despite the short term nature of my contract.

The nature of procurement (which was the centre of much of my work) means that work does come in cycles. Sometimes you'll be very busy, other times less so, but TfL have always been flexible with me about my hours, and there are always people on hand to help you out if you need it. For the majority of my placement, I have found myself with a good workload that has kept me busy during the days, and rarely kept me in the office late.

Though it came as a surprise, TfL have been great at easing me into the responsibility. Within my first three months, I was leading on requirements and attending meetings alone, despite never having worked in an office before joining. If I had found myself uncomfortable with the level of responsibliy, I always felt as though asking for it to be adjusted accordingly would have been entirely acceptable, but managers tend to be good at judging for themselves when you are ready. I also found that being encouraged in this way to take on accountability for pieces of work was the thing that developed my confidence the most, so I am appreciative of the opportunities I received in this respect.

TfL have a good training programme, and will offer plenty of opporutnities for development. In addition to this, yo uare encouraged to actively seek out your own opportunities, with which they are always happy to help in any way they can. I feel that the environment was great for developing me in a personal and professional capacity, but the nature of my placement at TfL (Commercial) limits how much is can assist me in my degree studies beyond the huge improvement in soft skills. Going beyond, though, I have no doubt that my time at TfL will stand me in good stead for future roles.

Having moved around a bit between offices, I've had different experiences. Some buildings are more vibrant than others, but all have been relaxed, including areas where senior management and directors are situated. People have been friendly in all the buildings I have sat within, but some areas are naturally more talkative than others, lending themselves to a more comfortable atmosphere. All buildings are suitably modern and equipped.

Brooadly running alongisde the graduate scheme, the work placement was well organised. Management had a good idea of the areas they wanted to send me from the moment I joined, and I feel that having moved around a lot in the year at TfL, I gained a great visibility of the breadth of the organisation, as well as working with so many people. TfL is a much more complex business than people realise, and the value of being able to move around and slowly find your feet cannot be overestimated.

TfL invested more than I had expected into my personal training and development. I was offered all training that was offered to the grads (other than the professional qualification), and extra. TfL are always open to allowing you to attend external training that you have sourced yourself, and as long as management are sufficiently warned, they always appeared comfortable with allowing me to take the days out of the office. All in all, in a 12 month placement, I would estimate that I have attended approximately 8 days worth of training, as well as a one week induction alongisde graduates on joining the company.

Future employment prospects within the organisation are appealing. Following the graduate scheme there is scope for promotion, though there is a feeling that progression can stagnate once you have reached the first tier of management.

The social scene amongst placement students and graduates is very good, with a strong network and the odd event throughout the year. During my year I maintained a good relationship with the graduates that worked in similar areas to myself. Outside of graduates, the social scene can vary more depending on the department. Inevitably, some areas are made up of a quieter and older demographic than others.

London. As expected, cost of living is high. Socialising, too, but there are plenty of cheaper places in central London, you just need to know where to look....

London. Nightlight is, as expected, good. Always places for a late night drink if that's what you're looking for.

Limited. There are the usual Christmas parties, leaving drinks, and occasional bowling nights. But the social scene is what you make of it. If you want to take the initiative to set something up, you'll certainly have a few takers.