Placement Review at Crane Process Flow Technologies Ltd

The Role

Role Description

Dealing with suppliers, requesting quotations, dealing with the vendor managed inventory system, sourcing cost savings (sometimes through use of an e-sourcing tool), rationalising the supplier base, sending drawing updates to the required suppliers, solving a wide variety of problems presented to me daily from different areas of the business or suppliers.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Though times where sometimes difficult (mainly because of the recession) and development was not always available to me due to a constant 'fire-fighting' situation, I thoroughly enjoyed my time on my placement, and learnt so much valuable information and gained extremely invaluable experience.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I felt highly regarded by my colleagues, as I was treated like a buyer and not like a student. It gave me a great feeling when I was asked for advice, especially from people that had been in business or in my specific field far longer.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The support was adequate, but I'm sure it would have been much better had we not been right in the middle of the recession and in a position where workloads completely outweighed resources. In a way I believe I have gained from this, as I had to learn the job 'from the bottom up' which I think has given me a much deeper knowledge.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

This varied dramatically. When there was little training at the beginning and I could only do a few things on my own, this became tedious at times. Then as I acquired the skills to enable me to do more tasks, it got much busier. Somedays you would not have time to think with every problem you solved being replaced by two new ones. Other days were slow. It depended very much on the running of the business and what occured during the day.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was given a great deal of responsibility and freedom during my placement, as I could pratical pick and chose what I wanted to do and when, as long as I completed it in a reasonable amount of time. I had almost complete control over the company's vendor managed inventory system, making all the decisions and solving the day-to-day problems.
I also resourced one of the supppliers that I found to be severely overcharging us through use of e-sourcing, and made a relative saving of £20,000. It gave me a great sense of achievement to have made this kind of impact on the business.

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 have only been back in university for a short while and already my level of understanding has increased drastically. Rather than having to learn what the lecturer is saying, I find myself agreeing with them. i believe that the placement could not have put me in a better position ready for my final year of my degree and hopeful employment after that.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was very surprised at the nature of the office atmosphere, very relaxed, good conversations and fun times whilst working.

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

As the job was covering maternity leave rather than a specifically set up student placement, it was more like a permanent job. Being 'thrown in the deep end' like this benefited me greatly. Unfortunately due to resource constraints organisation of the role couldn't properly be thought through.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The company did view me as a permanent worker rather than just someone who will leave after a year. They did spend what time they had on answering my constant questions and furthering my knowledge. They also invested in me by paying for my annual subscription for my professional institute CIPS.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 3/10

• National Travel
• Financial Bonus

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

If once I finish my degree I am asked to return I would, but I would also like to experience other companies in order to compare. For now I am focusing on my degree and keeping my options open.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

There were no other placement students in the company, and I was one of the youngest workers there. But I would say that the people there was the main reason I enjoyed my placement so much, as they were very friendly and fun to be around.

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

★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 1/10

Unfortunately I lived 30 minutes (on a good day) away from my job, so the cost of travelling was quite high. Socialising was also difficult due to the locations in which everyone lived. Sadly the company did not organise any Christmas parties etc.

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

★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 1/10

I think there is very little nightlife in Cwmbran, South Wales!

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

★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 1/10

No known opportunities to do things outside 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 think there is no substitute for a student placement, it will give you skills that you need in your field without too much pressure. It eases you into your field and also allows you to decide whether the job is right for you or not. I can't stress enough the benefits, I actually cringe at the thought of how worse off I would be without it. I've known one very important fact from an early age; companies want to see experience on your CV, not just your grades.