This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I really enjoyed the whole year I spent at M&S. As well as being a valuable learning experience (which is already helping me with work back at uni) it was also a lot of fun.
I always felt like i was valuable member of the team, which also meant I had to pull my weight. my work was always appreciated and this was communicated to me clearly
I feel this is one thing that could be worked on by M&S. Having more of structured system in place for their business placement students to follow. It was not compulsory for me to go to all the training, so could only go if i could make time for it in my day. This is something i feel future student could benefit from.
There was always something to do. Even if you weren't run off your feet busy. These were times i used to catch up on any jobs that may have been put to one side, during busy times such as sign off.
Towards the end of my placement I was starting to gain a little more responsibility, however i feel it was a little too late. I feel i could of taken more on before then, but this could also be a learning curve for me personally, in that i need to make these feelings known more to my colleges
I feel the whole year has helped enormously coming into my final year of study. I have gained a number of contacts across the industry to help with projects such as my dissertation. Plus it has also given me a realistic view on the industry.
The Company
The office had a really nice friendly atmosphere, and everyone was very approachable
Like i had previously said i feel the placement could have done with a little bit more structure to allow more further personal development
When i first started I had a few compulsory sessions, but apart from that anything extra i had to do in my own time. However the learning weeks did allow for this. And also meant i got to visit one of the suppliers
Subsidised Canteen
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
I think this is also something that isn't clearly communicated to the student unlike other companies. While it has been know for M&S to take on placement students after graduation it is not something you are totally sure on when you leave
The Culture
With in the placement student on my department there were definite friendships made between us, that have continued since leaving. However other departments we had less contact with
I found that i was able to comfortably live on the wage i was given, while also living in South London. Although expensive i was able to afford rent with my wage.
There are a few good bars around the office, which were visited quite a lot through the year i was at M&S. Really good places to go with your team to have a nice drink after a stressful day at work
I didn't get involved in anything, although if you look into i think it is possible to help out with charities and events
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Fashion Design, Marketing, Purchasing and Supply, Retail
London
November 2015