Early Trading Assistant Review

I really enjoyed my year at TUI. I feel I have learnt a lot, and got more out of the year than I was expecting

I have felt valued by my colleagues from the day I started. While I was leaning all about the role, I got great support, and once I was settled, I felt that all of the decisions I made and suggestions I had were valued as much as anyone else's I was working with

My manager over the year has always been there to give me support. I also received great development points which have helped my progression over the year, and have been given clear guidance within the role when I have needed it

There is always something going on, but certain times of the year are busier than others. During the quieter periods you have more time to get your work done, but during the busy times, you do have a lot of responsibility and have to be able to manage quite a lot of work each day. I have not felt overwhelmed though, and on average, the work load is manageable

I was given a lot of responsibly while I was on placement which was great. I was doing the exact same job as permanent members of the team, and throughout the year as I got more used to the role, I was able to get involved with projects and other developments that were being implemented within the business

The skills I have developed whilst on placement will be useful, not just for my final year of university, but also for my future career. The training that I got, whilst it will not necessarily directly help in my final year of University, it will be useful for when I have to use systems and reporting tools in my future job.

The atmosphere in the office is great. It is relaxed enough that you can enjoy going into work and working in your team, but when there is pressure to get results and tight deadlines to be met, there is still that professional side which allows you to get your work done.

Overall, it was a well organised placement year. There was a clear training plan in place when I started which helped me get to grips with the role and the company itself, and then there was regular placement meetings throughout the year for us to catch up and discuss any issues as a group. There was also a good level of support and regular catch up's with the placement team.

For me personally, I feel they invested in me a lot. I got trained on all of the systems and programmes that all of the permanent staff members were trained on, and I was also one of only three staff members to go on an externally run training course. I got all of this despite them knowing I was only going to be at the company for one year, and this made me feel very valued.

For me, the future employment prospects are very good, and there have been discussions about me returning to the company when I finish University. Within the role I was in, there are promotions up for grabs fairly quickly building up to manager level, but there is also the prospects of moving around the business to progress up the ladder quickly as well. There was also the opportunity to try out for the company's graduate scheme

All of the other placements were great fun, and we have gone out together to play golf, have a meal together and go on nights out. Within the whole team and my other colleagues, there is also quite a good social scene. We have also gone out nights out, had lunch and evening meals as a wider team, and I have been with my work colleagues on events to places like Ascot for the horse racing which was great fun.

In Luton, the cost of living is not too high given it's proximity to London. The house I shared with the placements was reasonably well priced, and was easily manageable within our salary. The cost of going out and socialising in Luton is also fairly cheap, but there is not a missive amount to do in Luton, so we often end up going to places such as St Albans which is more expensive and closer to London prices.

The nightlife in Luton is ok, but nothing special. However, due to the fact that we are close to places like St Albans which is ideal for a good night out, and also London where you have massive options for nightlife, it is actually fairly good, and we have rarely been stuck for places to go when we have wanted to go out.

There have been lots of opportunities during the year. There is a group of people from work who play football regularly once a week, we have had company sports days, departmental rounders tournaments, team football competitions and even a charity badminton tournament to get involved with. As a placement group, you also get the chance to take part in a couple of projects that are different from your day to day role, giving something extra you can get to grips with, but also a different aspect of the business.