Placement Year Review at DHL Express

The Role

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I loved every day at work!

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was made to feel like a long-standing member of various teams I worked in

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Initially I was given lots of guidance on how to perform tasks, and as my placement went on I was given training opportunities and the opportunity to work on various projects.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I managed several projects, including a team of 8 supervisors aiming to reduce printing costs. The project impacted around 1000 employees, and I was credited for its success in the national staff magazine.

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

Quite a range: project management, people management, performance measurement/management, I.T support, training soft skills, intranet design, web site testing, consulting... need I go on?

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Games on special days, cakes on people's brithdays, a bustling call centre atmosphere which was even better for those of us not on phones!!

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I worked part-time for DHL for while and then managed to convince them that they'd want me for a placement. Starting working on the placement with them and they had stuff for me to do and an induction plan of training and meetings.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I received any computer based training I wanted, I also received training on project management and trainer skills.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

• Flexi Time
• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• National Travel
• International Travel
• Financial Bonus
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop
• Above 25 days holiday
• Working from home
• Healthcare/Dental

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I won't be going back because I am going to be a management consultant, but there is a management graduate scheme, various analyst positions, and other great schemes based in Bonn, Germany for DPWN (Parent company of DHL).

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Lots of other students, although none doing 'placements' in their purest form, all of them joined in with office parties etc. and many of the other employees were young, creating an atmosphere where I didn't feel like the office 'kid'.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Variety of places to go out and choice of standard of living: Nottingham, Long Eaton, Loughborough, Castle Donington, Derby all nearby.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

See above!

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

5-a-side football, BBQs, parties, competitions, few drinks at the pub... yup... plenty to do!

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?

My placement was abnormal - I managed to convince them to hire me full-time for a year on a non-fixed role. if you want a placement with DHL normally, be prepared to go to Bonn, Germany on their DPWN placement scheme. My advice, therefore, is to take matters into your own hands rather than let the placement offices and recruitment fairs shape your options - you'll only end up chasing the same beaten tracks that everyone is.

Review 1/4 for DHL Express

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