Placement Year Review at TUI UK

The Role

Role Description

As a cruise trading assistant my job involves analysing financial reports and also monitoring sales and market trends in order to maxmise sales and profits. I am responsible for looking after the cruise ships for a season and am actively involved in deciding their pricing strategies. I also have many other tasks including sending offers to agents and attending meetings with other areas of the business.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The job was good because I was in a proper job role and given real responsibilty. Within my role I learnt a lot of valuable skills for example my presentation/computer skills have improved as a result of the placement. While I was always busy and the tasks were quite varied, I personally found it quite repetitive and I realised quite quickly that a role in trading isnt for me, however i'm sure that someone more suited to the role would enjoy it even more!

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

My team were very welcoming and really easy to get on with which helped make the job mroe enjoyable. I felt I was treated as a real employee not just a placement and my opinions are always valued.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

My manager was always really supportive and willing to give his time to help me and answer any questions. We had one to one meetings every 2 weeks where we would have a catch up and talk about any issues.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I had daily tasks that had to be completed and also weekly tasks that were shared on a rota with the rest of my team. I was also expected to carry out other tasks independently such as competitor analysis. Given the nature of the job there would be some days where I would be really busy and others where I didnt have that much going on, this is where time management was really important and this is a skill I feel I really improved as a result of the placement.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I was given a lot of responsibilty because I was allowed to price the cruises independently on the system which meant the company were putting a lot of trust in me as I was able to decide how much customers would pay for their cruise. It was also my responsibility to make sure certain tasks were completed.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I think the skills that I have learnt will greatly help my studies in my final year, for example the presentation, computer and time management skills I have learnt will help me manage my uni work and perform well. I have also learnt skills that I can utilise in many other job roles.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

There is a very laid back atmosphere, everyone in the office is friendly and approachable.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

There were some teething problems as it is still a new scheme, however there have been significant improvements over the year and I think the placement scheme next year will be even better.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I think the company invested a lot in my development, there were many processes in place to ensure I was aware of where I was performing well and my areas for development Also there were many training opportunties organised by the company that we were encouraged to take part in.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• International Travel
• Company Parties/Events

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

If you wanted to come back once you graduate there are many opportunities in different areas of the business including the graduate scheme and many of the previous placement students have returned.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

There were another 9 placement students on the scheme and we all became very close which was a really good part of the experience. There was also the opportunity to socialise with other people in the department through leaving dos/events etc which were enjoyable.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

Luton is a very cheap area to live in and our rent was affordable, Luton town is really cheap however generally people from work liked to go out in other areas such as St Albans which were a bit more expensive.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

There is nightlife in Luton and there are some good student nights in the week, although we tried not to go out on too many work nights! Luton is only a 30min train journey from London where we went out a few times although obviously thats a more expensive option.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

In my team we always had team nights out which were always good fun and there are activities such as the commercial football team that people get involved in.

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?

Overall this is a really good placement for loads of different reasons and i would definitely encourage students to apply! :)

Review 28/36 for TUI UK

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