Finance Analyst - Global Brands Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed my placement year at Boots. I have been challenged both personally and professionally, and given opportunities beyond what I anticipated. Colleagues treat placement students as valued employees, giving them responsibility and development opportunities.

I was immediately welcomed into the business, and my team. My work and support with both my own team and others within the business has been really valued and well received, I felt my work was appreciated, and worthwhile.

I had monthly 1-2-1's with both my manager and my business mentor. The manager meetings were to discuss my professional progress and what opportunities I can take to improve my day to day role and the skills required. My monthly meetings with my business mentor were more around the extra-curricular aspects and personal development.

It was dependent on the day, for example we were much busier around month-end (where the accounts closed) and had more ad-hoc work which was often slower in between these times. It was dependent on the needs of the business, but if work was in short supply there were many extra-curricular CSR projects to be getting involved in (such as Children in Need, Benny Day and MacMillan events)

I was given huge responsibility in my role. I was responsible for a number of tasks including the consolidation of the International Retail budget, owning the month-end process for Global Insights and separately, responsible for organising an Afternoon Tea event to raise money for the Boots Benevolent Fund.

The professional and personal skills developed through my placement programme have really helped me develop as a person and I feel much more confident in my ability heading back to University. I have invaluable experience which can now be applied to either Boots if I choose to return on their graduate programme or in other aspects of my future career.

The office environment was professional but relaxed. It was a fun place to work with something always going on whether it be raffles, fun-runs or brand events. The hours were flexible which meant employees rarely seemed stressed or worried.

Well organised. There were monthly development sessions with the HR team where you were taken away from the office to learn coaching, think about our futures or to reflect on progress. It is a scheme where the roles are established and there are few problems. You are also assigned a mentor within the business who can help with any issues.

Huge amount of investment. Monthly sessions out of the office where we looked at development. Some of these sessions included learning how to coach someone, reflecting and refocusing, team role theories such as Belbin. We also had an experiential where we took 2 days out of the office in the Peak District to come together as a YII cohort and learn more about ourselves and ways of working,

Appealing! I am waiting to hear whether I have a graduate offer but the placement year does help you in your application to the graduate scheme,

Lots of the placement students live together in Nottingham city centre so there is a good social group of placement students.

Nottingham is a cheap place to work and live compared to other areas I looked at.

Lots of choice, caters for all tastes and budgets,

I ran a coffee morning for MacMillan raising over £3000 I organised Afternoon Tea for the Benny Day Fun Day. I raised over £1000 with the other placement students for Children in Need. I am on the committee that is organising a Charity Ball for Rainbows Hospice.