UK & Nordic Marketing Communications Assistant Review

by Keysight Technologies

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.5/5
  • The Role
    4.0
  • The Company
    3.1
  • The Culture
    3.1

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I enjoyed my year with Keysight, the work I was given was always challenging and good for my development. I particularly enjoyed external meetings and attending tradeshows with the company. I could have gotten more out of the internship if I had a better grasp of electrical engineering, which is why I cannot rate this any higher.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I did feel valued by my colleagues, they would speak to me as if I am part of the team and would trust me with any work that they sent my way. Sometimes marketing is looked down upon by some colleagues, which made me feel less valued.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My manager was fantastic. Any help or advice that I needed, personally or professionally, she would always find the time to talk to me and help me with the situation. However, she also ensured she didn't micromanage me; when I was capable of doing a project alone, I would be left to it unless I asked for assistance.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • In marketing, the level of work was cyclical; in the middle of summer and middle of winter/Christmas, there would be a drop in work, but this is understood as the marketing activity drops in this period. This time can be spent planning for the busier periods. There was never a time when I was completely overrun by my work, and there were never points when I had absolutely nothing to do

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • In terms of my projects, i was usually given full responsibility of my tasks and I could change the way they were run if I thought it was better that way. In a multinational corporation, I was never going to be "running the show", but I was trusted by colleagues working abroad and I was felt valued with the responsibility I was given

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • There are some skills I've learnt this year that will be with me for the rest of my professional career, most of these being soft, transferable skills. For example, my leadership and communication skills have been tested and improved over the placement, and I know how to operate if in leadership positions in the future

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The office was friendly, and people would happily speak to you if you approached them. However, in such a busy office with different teams, the office is generally quiet as people are getting on with their tasks. Of course this is a good thing, as there weren't any unnecessary distractions to inhibit your concentration.

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • This was the 6 or 7th year of handling marketing interns, so my manager knew exactly how our roles were set up, what she expected, and how to keep us busy but not overrun. There was at no point a time that the management team did not know what was happening next. In a team of 7 interns, we always knw what we were doing and we had regular group meetings to consolidate all of our work.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • My manager was great at letting me get involved in projects I was interested in so that I could personally develop. Of course there were times when they couldn't fit me in, which is understandable, but 9 times out of 10 I was given the opportunities i asked for. For example, I wanted to improve my presentation skills, so I was offered the opportunity to introduce our company at seminars in front of customers.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Sports and Social Club

    Financial Bonus

    3/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • In terms of marketing opportunities, it is very limited due to it being an electronic engineering company. If any opportunities arise however, I would be interested in the role. I could easily see myself working for Keysight if the right role came up and I could see a clear path for me to progress further up the company.

    1/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • There were 7 interns, 2 in marketing and the other 5 in engineering, and we mixed very well during breaks and at work. We didn't spend a great amount of time together outside of work, but there was several occasions where we'd meet up for a drink or some food, just to catch up and spend some time together outside of the work environment. There are plenty of opportunities that our sport and social club set up, which would allow us to meet more people in the company.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Winnersh (Reading) is quite an expensive area due to it's transport links and proximity to London. However, renting a room in a house is not too bad if you pick a reasonable place and don't waste money in the wrong areas. There are plenty of things about, for example a train into London is cheap and only takes 25 minutes. There are also local sports clubs and other organisations that aren't any more expensive than anywhere else in the UK

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Reading's nightlife is okay. It depends what each person is looking for in particular. If you want to hop between bars, there are loads of places that are open late with cocktails etc. There are one or two clubs that you can go to, but they're not huge or the nicest places you'll go. In the week there are always things going on with the Univerity, so going to their student union bar is a good way to make friends and always have a good night out.

    3/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Personally, i was looking for a football club that played to a half decent level, but I really struggled to find a club that I could easily travel to and was at the level I was looking for. However, there were plenty of golf, running, tennis clubs, as well gyms, so there are plenty of sports clubs to get involved in. If you look on groups on social media etc, there are always opportunities to get involved with students and activities with UoR

    4/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

South East

July 2017


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