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
I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year and was given a real opportunity to gain invaluable experience in such a major organisation. It definitely exceeded all expectations.
Everyone in the team were very helpful and supportive. We got along together relatively well and it seemed like we were all working together to reach our goals.
At the start of the Placement, tons of information was given to me on all aspects of the business. This seemed quite overwhelming at the time and I felt as if I was thrown into the deep end. My manager also stressed the importance of being pro-active and to constantly seek new challenges. Over the course of the placement, I started to fully understand what my role was and was given sufficient guidance and information from my manager/supervisors. My manager was very supportive on the work I did and always believed in my capabilities. For that reason, I am very grateful to her.
At times the work load can be very hectic and stressful but on other occasions it can be very slow.
I was involved and help facilitate several multi-million pound projects/tenders. I was also given the opportunity by my manager to run several full-scale tenders by myself.
The placement year with E.ON taught me plenty of practical skills which in-turn backs up my way more my university degree. I even managed to get plenty of international experience as my team sent me to various places in Europe for site visits, training sessions and meetings. My stakeholder management has also increased tremendously due to daily communication with key E.ON stakeholders globally. All the skills I gained will no doubt benefit me further whether it be finding a graduate job or further pursuing my education.
The Company
I was split into two different offices; Newstead and Westwood. Both were very different in terms of atmosphere. Westwood can be very quiet whilst Newstead is constantly busy. I did enjoy the quietness of Westwood at times as I could fully concentrate on the work that was given to me. There is also a nice private park in Westwood!
The entire recruitment/interview process was very well organised. However, upon receiving the job confirmation, information on the job scope was relatively scarce until I arrived on my first day. However, once my manager took over, everything started to fall into place. I also felt slightly let down by HR with regards to the progression of the undergraduate Placement Scheme to the Graduate scheme. Both schemes were very different to one another and they also kept me in the dark for several months on the possibility of E.ON sponsoring international visas to enable me to apply for the graduate scheme. In the end, after much confusion, I was simply told that E.ON are unable to sponsor international work visas and did not allow me to apply for their graduate scheme. This was a very bitter blow and I felt very let down as I was told at the start of my placement year that I would be given an opportunity to apply for the graduate scheme.
Absolutely fantastic! I was given loads of international experience with opportunities to go on training sessions, supplier meetings and site visits all across Europe. I also had the luxury of a rental car whenever I had to drive up to Newstead (almost every week).
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Company Car
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
International Travel
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Working from home
Unfortunately for me, I was not even given a chance to apply for the Graduate Scheme due to the inability of E.ON to sponsor work visas.
The Culture
Fantastic social scene and friendships that will last long in the memory.
Coventry is a generally cheap place to live in. However, in terms of excitement, this town is not great.
Couple of decent nightclubs in the city center. Several in Leamington Spa too.
Nothing that particularly caught my interest.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Business Operations, Business Management, Customer Service, Financial Management, Legal/Law, Logistics and Operations, Purchasing and Supply
West Midlands
September 2017