Administrative Assistant Review

I felt that this placement gave me a good grounding in what it is like to work in an office environment, and as such what I enjoyed most was the opportunity to participate as a member of a team. I was made to feel very welcome over the course of my placement and it definitely made the experience more enjoyable.

I did feel valued by my colleagues, a feeling which was supported by the suggestion that I actually apply to hold the position full time. This suggestion made it very clear that the work I was doing was appreciated by my superiors and that I was working well as part of the existing team.

I received a good amount of feedback by my supervisors, even receiving a 'DSTL Thank You' which was awarded in recognition of the work I was doing. This award was approved my my management team who reiterated and added to the positive feedback that was passed to them by a member of the wider company. This experience was very gratifying as it was good to see that my work was being acknowledged and overseen.

Due to the nature of the job, there was a limit to the number of tasks I was able to carry out since I did not hold the sufficient clearance to complete every aspect of the day to day work. As such, there were times where I found myself with very little to do.

I was given a reasonable amount of responsibility over the course of my placement which was limited by the nature of the work I was undertaking. I was assigned full tasks to oversee and carry out as well as tasks to undertake as part of the team, which was helpful in providing variety.

As I have finished my degree, this placement has been very helpful in providing me with experience and insight into the world of work. It has been an eye opening experience and very helpful to me, given the point I am at in my professional life. I believe this placement has set me up to a good start in whatever is to come.

The general atmosphere in the office was very positive, with the team often laughing and joking whilst we worked. This extended beyond the office as well, since I was involved in events and activities as part of the team, despite the fact that I was a new addition to the workplace.

The placement was set up in such a way that I was able to carry out some but not all of the tasks available. Since the workforce of DSTL is split over several main sites, there was some confusion over the level of clearance that I required and therefore I often found myself stymied by this lack of access.

I was provided with a range of software and hardware during my placement with which I used to carry out the tasks set to me. I also received training on security and data handling which was particularly interesting, since there are certain ways of handling secure data that I would not have experienced otherwise.

In one of my reviews with my team leader, it was suggested that I consider applying for the job that I was doing as my placement. I did so, and have since interviewed for the position and received an offer of a position which I have accepted. Therefore I would say that the future prospects are very appealing.

I bonded very well with the other members of staff on my placement, going on day trips and pub nights with my colleagues. This was an unexpected but very welcome turn of events, and I plan on keeping in touch with them, especially since I plan to continue working there.

Since my placement took place reasonably close to the town where I live, the cost of living was not an issue. Transport was a little difficult but there was a company bus that runs from a number of locations. Socialising was reasonably expensive since the placement is located on the south coast but since I am from the area, I was used to this.

The nightlife exists, but would be better for those actually staying nearer to the location of the placement. There are a number of very good pubs scattered around but much fewer nightclubs, but there was still plenty to do. Brighton was within travelling distance which is always a plus in my opinion.

There were a few opportunities to get involved outside of work, both officially and unofficially. There were company based events that were held and also independent events and trips organised within the team on a much smaller scale. There was a good mix of different sorts of activities and I enjoyed it very much.