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
My time at Keystone Lintels has been very rewarding – I have learnt a lot. I found the first few month’s very difficult as I hadn’t done any of this type of work before - I'm not doing accountancy at university. However I picked everything up really quickly and have found the job really rewarding and have met so many lovely people along the way.
I felt like a valued member of the team from day one of my placement at Keystone Lintels. I was never treated like a student and was given a lot of responsibility and trusted with a lot of tasks. I've made a few lifelong friends and will definitely keep in touch with a lot of my colleges when I go back to university.
The first few months the previous year’s placement student was still there to help with any queries and to provide training. He had made me notes to follow to begin with and explained all that I needed to know. Once he left my supervisor helped me with any questions that I had. I felt very supported the whole way through my placement year.
Every day was busy - when I finished one task there was another to do. As well as completing my work in the accountancy department I also got the opportunity to assist with Payroll and purchase ledger meaning there was always something to do! This widened my knowledge of the way the company worked and also allowed me to widen my experience.
I was given a lot of responsibility from day one. The role of the Accounts placement is to assist with the preparation of the management accounts each month. Monthly tasks that need to be carried out include; bank reconciliations, aged debt reports, stock reports, wage reports, bank summaries and nominal activity reports. Other tasks include completing VAT returns quarterly, EC sales and intrastat which are government requirements, lodging cheques to the bank and being able to complete other ad hoc tasks on demand.
After completing A Level ICT I thought I was proficient in the use of Microsoft excel - little did I know I knew nothing until I came to Keystone. My confidence with the package has increased so much. I have also developed my communication skills vastly which will help me in any profession I have in the future.
The Company
There was a healthy atmosphere in the office. Everyone is really friendly and has a good work ethic. Everyone is very willing to help if and when needed. The company is a family run business which I think is a good thing as everything is a bit more personal. The directors make a point of getting to know everyone.
My work placement was very well organised. I had my own set of monthly tasks that needed completed by a certain date each month. I was provided with training and I knew what was required off me. As well as my set monthly tasks I was required to complete other jobs when asked which added some variety to the day.
The first few months the previous year’s placement student was still there to help with any queries and to provide training. He had made me notes to follow to begin with and explained all that I needed to know. Then throughout the year I was trained in Purchase ledger and payroll by other members of staff. I also completed manual handling training. I got the opportunity to train a member of staff from England who was taking over a few of my jobs.
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Above 25 days holiday
The Culture
There was a good social scene amongst colleagues. We ate lunch together everyday and went out for lunch on a Friday. There was also a great Christmas party night planned for all the staff. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. I am leaving Keystone with a few life long friends.
I lived quite far away from my placement so the only time I really went out was for lunch with friends that I worked with. There were plenty of restaurants to choose from - there was somewhere for everyone to go without paying too much money at all. I don't know how much the cost of living would be.
Keystone Group set up an initiative called "Keyfit". We all got the opportunity to take buy a fitbit at a discounted rate and take part in circuits classes after work as well as a Keyfit lunch and other activities. There was also the opportunity to go on trips with the sports and social club to Ulster rugby matches and the opera house.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Accounting, Business Operations
Northern Ireland
June 2017