Placement Year Review at Heinz

The Role

Role Description

As a member of the financial planning team, my daily tasks included ensuring the business was adhering to the forecasting timetable, reviewing financial statements and analysing them and pulling financial data from different areas of the business and presenting them in easy to read formats for non-finance people.

Trend analysis of different product groups and in depth accrual and prepayment review and analysis were also my responsability.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The placement year at Heinz was a fantastic experience, I enjoyed the day to day work and believe I was placed in a role that added real value to the company. I found people to be approachable, flexibile and understanding - which helped me to be confident in my role and perform.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The team I was placed into were extremely welcoming and helped to develop me throughout my placement year, I was very much made to feel a part of the company and a valued memeber of the team.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Management were keen for me to develop my own style, but would always remind me that help is only a question away. I feel as though that when support and guidance was needed or asked for, it was provided in abudance by the management team.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Due to the nature of business, there were significant peaks and troughs in my workload throughout my time at Heinz. Personel changes, different accounting periods and different areas of focus all lead to me being either extremely busy or not very busy at all.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

I was given responsability that was in line my role, as the year went on I was handed more responsability as my capablities grew.

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

Soft skills that I developed such as the way to approach a problem, or how to get your point across in a concise manner, is something that will stay with me for life, and going on placement has given me a fantastic head start once i graduate.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The atmosphere was one of urgency, collabaration and enthusaism. The company was going through a period of success and the culture of the office was reflecting that.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Overall the placement scheme was set up well, there were a few occasions when I felt that not enough information was being made readily availible by the placement team, but this improved as the year went on.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I enjoyed the same training and development benefits as all other Heinz employees.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

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

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The business benefits from a wide and relativly flat organisational structure, which is great for career development.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

As there was only 4 of us in 2007/2008, it was difficult to have regular social occassions, however the social scene amongst the company was good, and I went out with my team on many occassions.

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

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

London is an expensive place, and this is reflected by the pricing of food and drink in the nearby establishments.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

In places like Uxbridge and Ealing, the nightlife is good. Hayes itself is not a place i would recommend going out in.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Lots of opportunities, I played badminton and football, and there was lots more events and activities taking place each week that i did not take advantadge of.

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 had a great experience working for Heinz, its a company that believes in the development of talent and the relatively small intake of graduate and placement students meant that the talent team really can focus on developing talent.

I enjoyed my work and will be returning as a graduate in 2010.

Review 2/7 for Heinz

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