Placement Year Review at Experian QAS

The Role

Role Description

Test products from the start to the end of the project using the RUP methodology.
Ensure all products and data are working in order and of high quality.
Learn about the different products and the nuances of testing each.
Learn how to test on UNIX.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The placement itself I believe has been a resounding success, which I strongly think is due to the working environment and the people I worked with. When I first started the placement, I was welcomed into the company with open arms and was trusted with work that was important to the business. This trust my colleagues had in me instantly gave me a confidence boost and showed me that I could be an integral part of Quality Assurance, something I had been worried about before beginning my placement year. This placement year has been one of the most educational years of my life and I believe it is something everyone should do as part of their university degree, the amount of information you learn and in some way more importantly the processes of doing tasks I believe will help me in my final year, my dissertation and beyond.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Everyone welcomed me fully and I felt at home with everyone I worked with, even the developers as there was no rivalry between us testers and them.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Everytime I asked a question, it was answered very quickly and with enough information.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The nature of testing tends to mean that you either have a lot to do or not enough. I do not think this is due to QAS though and more the job in general.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

As I was trusted with more, I was given things to do which were more complex/would have more impact on customers if something went awry.

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 will never forget what I learnt at QAS, from learning a new programming language to how to test properly.
I even because more confident and believe I could interact with people more now then I did before.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Tends to be quite quiet (which is a good thing!).

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Apart from a few glitches with university, everything went fine.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

They gave me time to work on non project work and had a meeting to discuss how I could develop myself.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

• Flexi Time
• Sports and Social Club
• Financial Bonus
• Company Parties/Events

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

If I could, I would come back after my education.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Went out most fridays and also went to various other places every so often (subsidised to places like Paris and comedy clubs etc).

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

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

The area is quite expensive (in comparison to the North anyway!).

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

Good enough to go out, not much veriety (mostly pubs).

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Theres many different things you can get involved in if you wish.

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?

All in all, I believe that my placement has gone outstandingly well and what I take from it will definitely help me in the future. If anyone was in any doubt about a placement year at this company or any other, I would definitely push them to take it as I believe it is one of the best things I ever did. It isn’t just useful to learn what industry does; it also helps you in learning how to work in a professional environment and how to solve issues which have a profound impact on the company. Most students contemplating a placement would most likely be pushed to think of a time where they have been given so much responsibility and so much trust. I know that previous to this placement, the most responsibility I had was to make sure my own assignments were completed to a high standard and on time, but at work, what you do can affect other people and the companies reputation. This makes you want to prove yourself as someone worthy of that trust and to work harder than at most periods of your life in education. It isn’t an easy thing to do however, but if you put a lot of work in and a lot of effort, what you get out of it will be more than just a degree with “Sandwich” in the name!

Review 6/17 for Experian QAS

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