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 have thoroughly enjoyed my placement at NMUK working in the purchasing department as a buyer. Not only do I work with a great department and team which have made the year more enjoyable but I have found the work that I am doing interesting which has meant the placement has flown over.
My supervisor and mentor never hesitate to thank me or give praise if I have made a good job of something which makes me feel valued. Through the year I have been given a wider range of responsibilities and an increasing number of more complex projects to manage. This also makes me feel valued as they wouldn't trust me with these if they didn't think I was capable of them.
on the first day I was given a mentor who's desk is next to mine which is handy. Whenever I have had any questions colleagues are always more than happy to help out, advise or show me how to do things. This isn't to the extent that I am baby fed how o do things but its reassuring knowing that whenever I get stuck im not on my own.
Some days were quiet but the majority of the time I found myself very busy. The extent to which I have found myself working overtime every week which I was happy to do as this is paid or I can claim back as holiday. When I have experienced quiet times there have been other projects that I have been able to undertake which have not only kept me busy but have been interesting.
I have been given more responsibility than I had expected throughout placement. For example my role involves managing our consumable stores and orders going out for consumable goods, the spend for this is in the multiple millions. I have also been given various projects including managing contracts upwards of £100k per year, an amount of money I didn't think I would be responsible for as a placement student.
I believe that the hands on experience I have gained of the business environment over the course of my placement year has been invaluable to me for my future career. Although a lot of it wont necessarily aid with my degree, I believe the life skills gained are extremely valuable.
The Company
Office atmosphere is very friendly, there are no strict rules other than being punctual, wearing uniform and getting on with your work. We chat freely to each other while we work and can joke with our manager which is nice as I never feel tense coming into the office or speaking to anyone.
When I started I had 3 days of induction with other placement students which was very professional and structured. This made me feel more aware of what we do at NMUK and the Nissan brand. When I started work my desk was already set up with a laptop, monitor and other desk stationary which was nice. I did have to wait a couple of days for IT to get me set up on the software with user names though.
every week I have received an email with what training courses are available for me to sign up to. There are normally a wide variety from computer training to leadership training. I have also had several mandatory training sessions throughout the year to develop work related skills.
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
International Travel
Company Parties/Events
Above 25 days holiday
The grad scheme at NMUK looks very good and is something that I am interested in. It has a very competitive salary with good perks such as company car scheme and private healthcare. Nissan always try to put successful placement students onto the grad scheme to keep talent within the business.
The Culture
I am one of 16 placement students this year working at Nissan. We have lunch together most days and often meet up outside of work for food, and nights out. A couple of us went on a ski trip we had organized together earlier this year. Having this many placement students at Nissan this year has meant I have felt that I haven't missed out too much on my social life by working full time.
I lived at home during my placement so I cant really comment on cost of living. However Newcastle is a very reasonably priced city and easy to get around. You can eat out and have a nice meal for less than £10 and most bars have drinks offers on every night meaning you can go out on £30.
Although the plant is based in Sunderland we all went out in Newcastle> as many people know Newcastle has a reputation for being one of the city's with the best nightlife in the country. The city center is great with plenty of nice bars, restaurants and clubs that will appeal to a variety of people.
Our department have regular nights out and socials which have helped us all get to know each other and bond as a team. We have a 5 a side football match every Thursday night fro those wanting to take part. Some of these events have been heavily subsidized which has been nice.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Logistics and Operations, Purchasing and Supply
North East
July 2018