Portfolio Management Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement, I've been gifted with a lot of opportunities and been given a real insight in what it's like to work within a company of this size, my main reason for completing an placement year.

You are treated as an equal by managers and they will grant you the same thanks as normal employees

Managers treat you as an equal and are always willing to provide guidance and pass on their knowledge. If I ever did something wrong, I would be shown how to do it right the next time.

In my experience it was important to find your own work and utilize networking skills to find work at times you weren't as busy. I was however kept busy by my managers without being dumped with an over ambitious workload.

Again this was influenced by who/what you were doing. I was given quite a lot of responsibility however whatever I was doing would always be checked and monitored. This was understandable and meant I could get beneficial feedback on weak areas.

I've learnt a massive amount about what it takes to prove yourself and be successful in a large company and many of the soft skills I've improved upon will be useful in my final year.

Everyone within the office is extremely friendly and always willing to help (if you ask) and it's understandable that occasionally you get the one anomaly!!!

The area i went into was a newly established team who were new to having placement students so often they would find themselves too busy to assist you. I went on to find my won work in various areas of the company however this has given me excellent networking opportunities and exposed me many areas of the business.

We were given a lot of help with soft skills with workshops etc and there are a wealth of opportunities for self learning through various means. My role didn't require any particular training as I learnt on the job. Other placement students however were given beneficial training.

The best bit about this Placement is the opportunities for job offers after your final year. So long as you meet expectations you are guaranteed a job. The HR department is extremely good at discussing this with you and finding a role that suits you and suits them as well!

Definitely. you could normally always find a group of graduates sat in the breakout area as long as your willing to go over and say hello. Socials/nights out are slowly coming about with the introduction of social networks etc.

London

There are a few good bars nearby and Oxford circus is just 1 tube stop away meaning it was extremely easy to go out and about after work.

There wasn't as many opportunities for this as I'd hoped, I played football every week with work colleagues however this was self funded. It was also difficult to socialize with Grads/Interns as often they are moving offices and around the country. This is being addressed with the use of corporate social networking and dedicated social secretaries.