Placement Year Review at The Grange Hotel

The Role

Role Description

For the duration of my university placement I occupied a management position in the company. I was in charge of numerous aspects of the company, though I was largely involved in dealing with and resolving customer issues and inquiries.

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

It was a very rewarding experience. I imagined that the hotel was my own company and that my livelihood depended on the level of success I achieved. I now feel that if I do decide to set up a hospitality business in the future then I am in good stead because of this placement.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

They were great. It was strange because, although they knew I was a trainee and had no previous experience, I felt like they respected me and valued my opinions.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was allowed to focus on whatever side of the management role that I fancied. I love interaction and am quite a sociable person so I stated that I wished to be heavily involved with the customers and therefore I was asked to deal with customer feedback. Throughout the placement, my managers were very hands on in my development and were always very approachable.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

It varied from day-to-day. Some days I was rushed off my feet - like this one day in winter when the heating system stopped working - and other days I had literally nothing to do.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Although I wasn't running the whole hotel I like to think that I held a position of considerable importance. In the business industry the customer is always right and their satisfaction is imperative, therefore I felt that as I was dealing with customers every day I had quite a lot of responsibility.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The experience I received was essential in helping me achieve the best degree classification I possibly could. I think that my time at the Grange Hotel helped me improve from a third class degree to a lower second.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

The staff were very cheery at the hotel as we always wanted to give every customer a great experience. This helped create a nice, pleasant atmosphere around the building.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I was very satisfied with the initiation and development of the placement. I got to be involved in the management aspect of the company almost immediately and I was allowed to develop at a natural pace throughout the year.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 2/10

I never had any professional training or development. The training consisted of the managers informing me of what they would do in certain situations and me taking this on board and acting upon this.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 2/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Company Parties/Events

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

I'd bite the manager's hand off if he offered me a job at the company. Yes, the wage isn't the best. But you are allowed to do what you want while you're there.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Come the weekend, the staff turn into party animals. Every Friday night once my shift had ended, me and a few other staff members would go out for the night and have a good time.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Rent's pretty cheap in York and there's plenty to do to keep you entertained when you're not working.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

There's lots of nice pubs in York if you want to have a few drinks, however if you want a proper night out with bars and clubs then I would suggest catching the train into Leeds as that is an immense night out.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

If you're open to doing things that you usually wouldn't consider doing then there is lots of opportunities. For instance, I was invited to go for a night at the bingo hall. Usually I wouldn't be at all interested in bingo but I decided to make the effort and attend the event. A lot of social activities occurred which I usually would flat out reject but instead I attended them.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

Since I completed my placement the hotel has undergone heavy refurbishment, so the hotel that you find will probably be majorly different to the one I spent my placement at.

Review 2/3 for The Grange Hotel

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