Business Transformation Undergraduate Review

I enjoyed this placement quite a lot. The environment at work is quite relaxed and the people are friendly, which really helps when you are new to the corporate environment. I found my placement challenging but there was support offered from the managers and team members which allowed me to develop my skills.

I feel like my colleagues were welcoming and interacted with me well. We had several group tasks where we were each allocated specific roles to get the work done and we were open and honest with each other when giving feedback on the quality of the work. We also had regular socials and meals which helps building the team spirit on a personal level.

I had Bi-weekly meetings with my manager which really helped to track my progress and update her on any issues or challenges I faced. She was quite open with me when providing feedback which was useful for my personal development and becoming a more effective team member, She also conducted a Training Needs Analysis on my arrival and advised me to enroll into training courses for tools that she knew I would need to utilise, which I found useful.

My workload would vary day to day depending on many factors. I would have a lot of data processing to carry out on Week and Month End and then follow up on those tasks at the start of the Month and Week, therefore I was always quite busy on those days. We adhered to a reporting calendar and therefore we had specific dates where we had to collate a lot of information and they would always be very busy. Aside from that, if I had any capacity I would raise it with my team and they would always be happy to delegate something to me.

Once I had the necessary training and experience, I feel like I was responsible for quite a lot. However, I learnt that I needed to seek out responsibilities and put myself out there to take on tasks rather than wait to be assigned to something. Towards the end a lot of other team members would approach me for help on certain tools and processes which can be quite rewarding.

I believe that the training offered at VWFS is excellent because there are a wide range of courses and you are given the opportunity to sign up to whichever courses you feel suits you best. For example, I went on courses for: Microsoft Excel (Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced), Presentation Skills, Negotiation Skills, Maximising Personal Influence. These courses are held by 3rd party companies and are high quality.

The atmosphere in the office varied but generally people just got on with their jobs with an occasional chat in a coffee break. My role was in a central function therefore a lot of people would come over to my desk to ask me questions in person which I preferred over emails. Friday's are 'Dress down days' which helps get everybody relaxed and ready for the weekend. Also, there was a nice buzz around the holidays and Christmas which was nice.

I dont feel like my placement was organised very well because my department and team were relatively new and the tasks for my role were not really allocated very well. However, I used this as an opportunity to seek out my own tasks and this allowed me to have a bit more freedom with what I wanted to take on based on what I enjoyed and I believed that I was good at.

This company was quite generous in terms of the investing in us as undergraduates. We had the full opportunities available in terms of Learning and Development and also within the department there were lots of days organised to embed our values and mission. There were a few company wide events such as the Strategy Conference held in MK Stadium. There was also opportunities to mentor disadvantaged school children and a day where they were brought on-site for a presentation and the opportunity to see some nice super cars.

There are a lot of employees here that were previously undergraduates which is quite promising. However, there is no Graduate Scheme which is quite disappointing and doesn't provide a lot of structure to a career path.

The social scene is what you make it. Like most cities, there are lots of clubs and bars and they are all quite close by. The company does not really organise or subsidize any social activities just for undergraduates. It was unusual for anyone to engage in social activities after work which is different to other work places from what I have heard.

Rent was affordable and not based London prices which was good because it allowed me to have more of a disposable income. The socializing costs were the same as most places and again not based on London wages which was good.

The nightlife was what you made of it. There is one of the biggest clubs in Milton Keynes which was always quite a popular option for people on weekends and some more up-market Bars around the City Center that people may go to after a meal nearby.

There was a social organisation within the company called Teamswork that organised parties and events outside of work. Also, in my department we tried to have activities like Bowling or a Pub Quiz at least once every quarter. Otherwise, again the social side was what you made of it.