Placement Year Review at Heinz

The Role

Role Description

Building and analysing Profit and Loss Accounts for New Product Development (NPD)
Analysing monthly actual data versus forecast.
Looking at the long-term future of the company and building plans to reach objectives.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

My Placement at Heinz was absolutely brilliant. I was treated as a professional, and was given a proper role, with real responsibility. Cannot rate my placement highly enough.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I never felt like a student during my time at Heinz, as I was always treated like a professional. Also my colleagues were always available if I needed help. I always felt respected and was always given an opportunity to express my thoughts and opinions.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My manager at Heinz was fantastic, and was always available if I needed any help. I sat only a desk away from him, so we built a good relationship and worked well together. I was also given advice about my career paths and how I could achieve my ambitions.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

As my team was quite small, there was always plenty of work to be done! Some parts of the month were busier than others, and that will be the case in most finance offices.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I owned several projects and I was responsible for ensuring a correct Profit and Loss account was being built. I was also given work where I had to report the CFO of Heinz UK, so some of the work I was involved with of high importance

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

The soft skills I learnt at Heinz will be invaluable during my final year at university. At Heinz I gained confidence in completing difficult pieces of work which I have taken into my final year. Also I now have the ability to organise and schedule my work so I can meet deadlines, without the usual frantic rush!

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There was a lot of banter in the office, and it was always a fun place to be.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The placement scheme has been going for a few years now, so the scheme is well structured.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

There are training schemes available, and the company is happy to send you on them if it will help your development.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Financial Bonus
• Company Parties/Events
• Above 25 days holiday

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I have been accepted on to the Graduate Scheme, so I will be returning to Heinz in 2009

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I lived at home with my parents during my time at Heinz so cannot comment too much on living costs. In terms of socialising costs, it depends on where you go, obviously central London will be quite expensive, but there are some reasonable places in Ealing or Uxbridge.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Hayes is well located, so it is easy to get to Central London, Ealing or Uxbridge, so there is plenty of choice of where to go.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

During my time there were plenty of opportunities to go out with work.

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 time at Heinz was absolutely brilliant and I recommend anybody to apply for Heinz as you will learn so much and you will have a lot of fun.

Review 1/7 for Heinz

Next