Procurement Industrial Trainee Review

I really enjoyed it. The UK procurement team provided constant support throughout but also allowed me the time, space and independence to progress and develop my own time management and pro-activity. I was always provided with opportunities to get involved with projects, given that I recognised the opportunities and found them interesting. The team were friendly and we often took procurement outings as team builds and as forms of socialising.

I've made some very good friends in my team and hope to stay in touch after my time at Pfizer finishes. I don't just feel like an admin or someone to pick up tasks that no one wants to do, I feel like I am vital to the teams functionality.

My manager and I would have weekly meetings where we would review my weeks tasks and if I was struggling with anything or any time management. It was nice to know that I had a weekly window of opportunity to bring up any general issues. I had less support on overall goals of my placement. These were set originally but relied on my own management which slipped towards the end.

I was always busy and challenged on a daily basis. If I wasn't busy then I would always be able to ask if I could get involved in tasks.

I have been given lots of responsibility throughout my placement. The highlight of my responsibility was to run pricing analysis throughout the process of the assessment for a new supplier. The process (which spanned over all of Europe) would not have been able to move forward without my analysis.

I have developed many skills. Mainly in my own self management. My time management and pro-activity are certainly abilities that I have developed in my time at Pfizer. After working in a business, my communication skills have improved greatly. Simple things like emails, phone calls and making presentations have vastly improved.

It depended on the mood that everybody was in. If people were in a bit of a mood then the office would be a bit quiet. However, most of the time it was generally very lighthearted and laid back.

The organisation of the placement wasn't the best. The handover of work was heavily relied upon by the previous intern. However, my manager was aware of this and we rectified the issue by creating a placement handbook for the next intern to use.

There were lots of opportunities for training within the business. There was an opportunity to complete a yellow belt project (a business wide recognised qualification) which was provided with much support. There was also plenty of other training available held by different members of the business i.e. the head of UK finance held a general finance training. Also there is plenty of online training opportunities which are easily accessible.

They are very appealing. There is no specific graduate scheme but apparently I have impressed and may have something in the works for when I finish Uni.

Yes there is a good social scene as there is a large number of placement students. Only if you actually try and aren't a hermit.

I didn't live in the area. I frequently went round to another placement students house and the town was a bit quiet.

It was a bit quiet but as we are close to London which was always good.

Yes, everyone was keen to socialise and we had some activity clubs that were at work.