Placement Year Review at Samworth Brothers

The Role

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Samworth Brothers do a 2 placement year - both have given me brilliant opportunities but each do have their ups and downs, as most do!

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Colleagues at both Companies treat me as one of the team - not simply as a 'placement student'.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

In each placement you are given a mentor as well as having a mentor that stays with you throughout your year. There is also a dedicated Grad Coordinator on hand to answer any questions/concerns etc...

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

In marketing there are times when it is extremely busy - its the nature of the role. In QA (Quality Assurance) it is a similar thing - still, your own personal time management plays a huge role...

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Lots! At times I have felt a little over whelmed but its at these times that you learn the most. Its nice that your colleagues have the confidence in you and there is always support available.

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

The 2 placements enable you to try something new and that you potentially wouldn't normally do - this helps strengthen skill areas and develop in areas that you maybe wouldn't even think about.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The Placement Scheme has been running for years - sometimes there are little problems to overcome but thats the same anywhere. The whole thing was smooth and easy...

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Lots! They suggest ideas etc but also seem very open to ideas that you put forward. If you approach them in the correct way and can suggest why it will benefit you (and idealy them too!) then they always seem willing.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

• Flexi Time
• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Good - there is a Grad Scheme too that involves up to 4 6 month placements in different areas. The areas can be steered by you up to a certain extent too, dependant on your development needs.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

In Conrwall the students are more spread out (simply as 2 of us are from down here anyway) On the whole most people live in Plymouth and so socialise quite a lot.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Cornwall is much like everywhere else. Plymouth provides some good cheap student accom...

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Plymouth is only 15 mins away and its really close to both the North and South coast - good beaches!

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Yes - the Samworth Academy provides lots of activities; canoeing, tennis, climbing, and non-sporty ones too; language courses sometimes run, photography courses etc

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?

The Company has sites in Cornwall and Leicester...on the whole you can decide in which area you would rather be but it also give you the opportunity to go to both and experience different places.
The two placement idea really allows you to do different things and try new roles which means that it doesn't get boring!

Review 3/16 for Samworth Brothers

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