Placement Year Review at Volkswagen Group UK Ltd

The Role

Role Description

I worked in the Volkswagen Fleet Services department and enjoyed an extremely varied role. Every month i would encourage people within, or with some relation to, the department to write an article for out internal magazine. I would then organise time scales for production, edit the articles, and decide on the rough page layout before sending eveything off to our agency. The agency would put the articles and images into the magazine format and await my, and my manager's, approval. This was a fantastic project that was entirely my own, and as such open to my personal ideas.
I also worked with an agency to produce two e-newsletters which were sent to roughly 5000 customers and staff each time. This was a big challenge for me as i needed to gain the feedback and approval of colleagues in Product Marketing and Legal before the e-newsletters were sent. This project required exceptionally good attention to detail, clear and comprehensive communication to the agency, and the ability to meet strict deadlines.
I was also responsible for maintaining and refreshing personalised customer intranet sites. I completely changed how the sites were reported on as well as various aspects of the sites themselves, in a bid to increase activity and relevance. This project required constant attention and an awareness for up and coming events that may impact on the information supplied on the sites.
On a day to day basis i would complete reporting on the website and other communication tools, maintain a product information pack for the Area Fleet Managers, send out internal communications, and complete ad hoc tasks, for example producing customer facing literature on our products.
Other projects that i was involved with included working on the BlueMotion Polo launch as the Project Administrator, being a member of the Events Team on a development program for the retailers, interviewing a retailer to gain feedback on our communications, helping review the questionnaire for the department's market research, and many more.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I absolutely loved this role. I was varied, challenging and great fun. I was involved with so many different projects, each requiring different skills. I could really see how i developed throughout the year, and my C.V. looks great!

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The whole department were really welcoming, but especially the team i worked with. I was given more and more challenging projects as my skills developed and really felt that my contribution was adding to the success of Fleet Services. I got on extremely well with my colleagues and was truly sad to leave them all at the end of my placement.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I had weekly meetings with my Manager to discuss what i was working on and how i was progressing. However i was always asking questions as well; my Manager was very approachable. In addition to this we set objectives at the start of my placement, reviewed them after 3 months and then formally reviewed them after 6 months. At that point i was then set new objectives for the remaining 6 months of my placement. I was always given the opportunity to say what sort of projects i would like to be involved with, or what sort of skills i would like to develope.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

This depended on how close i was to a deadline! Generally i was always on the go, which suited me perfectly because i do not like being idle. When deadlines approached there were, of course, a few late nights to ensure that everything was in order. However i knew it would be well worth the extra effort to complete the project to the best of my abilities.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was really surprised about the level of responsibility i was given during my placement. The more i proved that i was capable of working on complex projects, the more responsibility i was given. The second half of my placement especially was full of proud moments for me, and this was reflected in my final review at the end of the year. It is a rather cliqued saying, but the more you put into your placement, the more you get out of it.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I found that when i started my placement i thought i had really strong skills in certain areas. However you soon come to reassess yourself as you get into the role. Now, though, i can truly see the extent to which i have developed and i am approaching the task of finding a graduate job with much more confidence. I have a real understanding of what my skills are and how they can be applied to the benefit of a future employer. My placement also made me aware of the areas that i need to make more improvement on, so i can concentrate on this in my final year of university.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Fleet Services is a very hard working and busy department in a highly competitive market; so it was easy to get so involved with your own projects that you became less aware of everyone elses. However the team i worked in recognised this, and set quarterly days out of the office for some team building time. The department was a really friendly one, though, and we did make time for a bit of a natter during the day.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Volkswagen has been running their placement scheme for a long time now and the process is well established. Everything was clear and comprehensive from the initial introductions to the final feedback sessions.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Volkswagen has a variety of training courses available to improve your developement. I attended an 'influencing' course, as well as sessions on 'team working' and 'giving and receiving feedback'. I also had an advanced driver training day, which was really useful for learning to increase your safety and economy on the road.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

• Flexi Time
• Subsidised Canteen
• National Travel
• International Travel
• Financial Bonus
• Company Parties/Events
• Above 25 days holiday

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I have been contacted by Volkswagen as they would like to keep in touch with me throughout my placement and after i graduate. So, if there is the availability, my job prospects there could be very promising. However i will also be looking for other graduate jobs as well so that i have lots of options available.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

There was about 15 placment students in total and i lived with 4 others in rented accomodation. As we were close to the centre of town there was plenty of opportunity to go out (restaurants, theatre, cinema, snow dome, shopping centre).

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

The cost of living was not cheap but your wage will definitely cover it. In fact i managed to save quite a lot of money.

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

Not exactly my cup of tea but i am sure it would suit many. The trouble is you have to drive if you want to get anywhere in Milton Keynes.

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

I actually took spanish lessons after work at a local college. I can't really comment on anything else, but i am sure there are plenty of things going on if you look for 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?

I did my dissertation during my placement year by conducting research within the department. They were very supportive of this and now i am on track for a really good grade.

Review 5/11 for Volkswagen Group UK Ltd

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