Client Services Assistant Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my year at ProspectSoft and feel that it is a great placement scheme for those students looking to immerse themselves in the business environment. I went into the year without any incline of which industry I wanted to work in, and 13-months later I now find myself passionate about the IT industry and eager to find out more about it.

From my early days at ProspectSoft I felt included as an employee as well as an individual. My colleagues were open to any ideas I had, whilst also being on hand and approachable should I encounter any issues or have any questions. I never thought I would get so much respect as an individual whilst on my placement year, and have been presented with multiple opportunities to make a significant impact on the business. I have also managed to make a number of close friends as a result of my placement year due to the perfect balance between fun and professionalism has allowed me to do so.

As I have had the opportunity to work across a number of different departments throughout my year, the support I have received from managers and supervisors has varied slightly, but as a general rule has been excellent. I have been given a fair amount of free reign to put forward my own projects and make best use of any opportunities that surface. Not only that, but I have also been given some great mentoring at the beginning of my placement year, which acted as a perfect incentive to succeed and impress in the role.

Very, and I liked it. The role itself involved frequent customer contact, whether this be phone calls or emails, there was always a customer who wanted something. On the days where we were less busy, I was allowed to suggest my own internal projects to work on, as well as improve on existing processes should this be necessary. There was always something to do, and when there were fewer things to do, you could always find something to do.

When I first began looking for placements (notably at the bigger firms) I was concerned that I would be just another small cog in a huge machine - that certainly was not the case at ProspectSoft. Once settled into the role, I began seeking new responsibilities. I was given the task of recruiting the next year's technical placement students, which I undertook independently and successfully hired 4 individuals from. I then moved on and began to focus on the launch of our latest software, Prospect 365, our biggest launch to date. I became heavily involved in the migration of existing customers to our new platform, and quickly became a key individual in this process. Not only that, but I was allowed the opportunity to put forward a new idea for placement recruitment, which involved the creation of a portal allowing applicants to apply for the ProspectSoft placement scheme online. I acted as project manager for this and am extremely happy with the results. You can check this out here: https://placements.prospectsoft.com

I definitely learned a lot more on my placement year than in any of my previous years of education. Real world experience such as speaking with customers, interacting with colleagues and experiencing the routine of a full-time employee all spring to mind! Not only that, but I have also discovered an interest in project management, which I had not previously considered, and have selected a module on this subject to delve deeper into during my final degree year.

I enjoyed going to work. As a large majority of the workforce (around 50%) are returning placement students, the average employee age is relatively young. Not only that, but the placement scheme is such an integral part of the business, meaning that everyone is accommodating to the new starters and are friendly in their approach.

The scheme runs over 13-months and therefore has an overlap period where the current placement students and the new placement students are all in the office together. The first month of the placement is dedicated to training to get the new individuals up to speed with the software involved. The training is delivered by our training consultant and the directors, and all students undergo the same training for the first 2 weeks, before getting more department-specific towards the latter part of the month. The remainder of the placement scheme is subject to change as the role itself is constantly changing.

The countless amount of training hours and time committed to ensuring placements were learning about the product and the IT industry, is a strong indication of how much ProspectSoft invest in their staff.

Throughout the year I was in constant contact with management and directors about job offers and noted our intentions throughout regular meetings.

With the introduction of a social committee throughout the year, nights outs and other activities started becoming more regular occurrences, As a number of the placement students shared a house in Oxford, we often used to hang out outside of work and socialise in our groups.

A number of us shared a house in Cowley just outside of Oxford, and we knew this would not be cheap. That being said, we were able to pick up a 5-bed house for a reasonable rent which we were all happy to pay.

As Oxford is home to two universities, it is possible to go on a night out without breaking the bank. There are always student nights on, offering cheap drinks in busy venues.

As previously mentioned, the introduction of a social committee really saw improvements to the social situation at work. Events such as bowling, a company summer BBQ and go-karting have all been put forward and are open for all to attend.