Placement Review at Brunner Mond (UK)

The Role

Role Description

Participate in the day to day operation of the Help Desk Service for technical support and call resolution covering fault diagnosis and fault fixes.
Administer the provision of telephone lines and apparatus, including desk top and portable equipment.
Provide technical support for the standard IT applications and desktop computer equipment.
Operate in line with established procedures or best practice for the maintenance, configuration and support of IT equipment.
Responsible for specific projects during your time with the Department. E.g. IT Blog, BMWiki and Redevelopment of the Intranet

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at Brunner Mond and I learnt so much throughout my time there. I think it has helped me develop both personally and in the business sense and feel that because I have completed a placement and learnt from the experience, whilst enjoying it at the same time, that I will enjoy the industry I have chosen and be able to contribute significantly to my future employer.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I have had numerous comments from the other members of the IT telling me how efficient I was and that I have been a help to them throughout my time there. I also recieved lots of comments from the users who said I was a great worker and they would be saf to see me go.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I was given full support throughout my whole time within Brunner Mond, not once did I ever feel as though there was no one I could go and see about certain issues. My manager was always there to answer any questions or queries I had, if the other members of IT couldn't help me.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Everyday within Brunner Mond was busy because I participated in managing the helpdesk. Each day was different and there were always users having some kind of problem. When there were no queries from the helpdesk, I always had my own projects to work on throughout the year, e.g. creating a Blog and Wiki and also redeveloping the Intranet

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I would say I had the same responsibilities as the other members and was given full responsibility with my projects, I was left to my own devices on completing these projects, just seek help when required, other than that, it was up to me. The only thing I was unable to do was to change the users log on passwords to the network.

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

I feel all the skills I have developed during my placement will help me within all areas of my life. Throughout my final year of study, gaining my next job and also in my personal life. The developments I have made is not only in the knowledge sense but also developed me as a person. I am more confident, I am able to communicate with people much better and I feel a lot more employable now compared to before my placment. Hopefully now because I believe I am more employable that I will find the perfect career for me.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The office atmosphere was completely different to what I expected. It was a professional environment in the sense that the work always got done, but it was never dull. There were only three of us in the same office and I was quite lucky to land in a placement, within IT, where the people were not the normal IT stereotypes. They were very helpful at the beginning of my placement and made me feel at home straight away. They made conversation with me and we all got on really well.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I would say my placement was well organised in the sense that I had my projects given to me within a few weeks and I had work to do near enough straight away.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I did not go on many training days, I only attended one course, but for my project on the Intranet, they did invest in the software I recommended because I would be able to use it and also know the next student who would be maintaining it will also be familiar with it.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

• There were no perks with this placement

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I believe from the feedback I recieved from not only from the users but also from my manager, that if a job did ever open up in the future and I applied for it, then I would have a good chance in securing the job. The fact that my manager fought for me to stay on until September instead of finishing in July proves to me that they appreciate the work I contribute to Brunner Mond.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I didn't really spend much time with the other students on placment within Brunner Mond, but I did know each of them and when I saw then I did make conversation with them and see how things were going etc. But outside the Brunner Mond I don't keep in thouch with them.

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

I never ventured out of Brunner Mond in working hours, I tended to have lunch within the company. I continued to live at home whilst on my placement and therefore didn't need to travel around the area.

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

★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 2/10

According to people who live in the area, Northwich is not famous for its night life and I never stayed in the area over night to investigate myself. However, I wouldn't have thought this area would have a good night life because there doesn't seem to be much else than houses and the odd local shop on my journey into work.

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

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 0/10

I didn't have the opportunity to undertake any acitivies out of work and doubt that if I had I would have contributed because of the distance I have to travel to and from 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?

I would recommend to other students looking for placements, to try there hardest at securing one because the developments you make in one year in industry is amazing! I didn't believe I would gain that much from my placement year but I was wrong! I am much more confident now in gaining a high level degree just because of the knowledge gained in my placement and also because I am more focused in achieving the best I can from university in order to securing a good career. Without my placement I don't think I would have been successful in gaining my degree at all never mind at a high level. Whereas now because I have the experience behind me, in my chosen industry, then I will be able to use this experience to benefit me in my final year of study and first year in employment.

Review 1/3 for Brunner Mond (UK)

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