Marketing Assitant - PR & Publicity Review

I am enjoying my my placement a lot, I would rate it 9 out of 10 as I initially did not believe I could become passionate about power tools because I knew nothing about them and I would not be a typical target group. However the team is so knowledgeable, experienced and passionate - it really rubs off!

I feel 10/10 valued by colleagues as the management staff often say that without the interns they would not be able to function due to the support and new ideas from interns. Bosch really pushes for a diverse working environment which is definitely apparent here from day one and it delivers results.

Typically one student will be assigned one manager. This is very beneficial as you work very closely on a range of projects which allows for a broader understanding of the business as a whole - especially when your manager has been within the organisation a long time, they have a wealth of knowledge. I know that because they have a regular turn over of student they are well equipped to deal with problems and 'silly' questions.

Obviously there are time pressures and deadlines to adhere to but they never felt unachievable because of the large support network who are readily available and happy to help. My manager has weekly catch up/to do meetings where we discuss upcoming events and projects which keeps us on track for completion in time. There is also a to do list on an excel document which we both have access to so I was able to crack on with things before my manager has even asked me.

I was surprised by how much responsibility I have been given during my placement. I am in charge of all print user communications which has a potential reach of over 9 million tradesmen. I organised events with key user groups.

I have developed a wealth of experience and knowledge in project and event management by seeing something through from beginning to end which in turn has supported my time management capabilities. In addition to this I feel my communication skills have improved dramatically as I have had to communicate with a range of people from sales representatives to end users on a regular basis through a number of different mediums including email, phone and face to face.

The general office atmosphere has always been friendly and transparent because we operate an 'inspiring working conditions' which means that you are not tied to one desk. Every day you can sit somewhere new which is could because it encourages you to speak to people in different departments where you can learn things that could be beneficial to your team too!

The placement provided quite basic information in terms of which job we were initially applying for however, as soon as we came to the assessment centre we was bombarded with different job roles. It was fairly difficult to take in to be honest but because the previous students were very passionate they were open to any questions.

I am given a lot of training and development opportunities starting with team based product training on a fortnightly basis. I find this very useful as sometimes I do not fully understand a particular product I am working on and it shines a light on the features and benefits as well as how it works. I have had student specific training for effective communication and time management with more in the diary to complete. I have also had opportunities to to CPR and AED training.

In terms of working with Bosch after placement I definitely would. Your manager can put your name forward to you to go into a 'talent pool' where, if another job was to come up within the Bosch group then they would inform you. This happens if you prove yourself in your placement. A few of the current managers were previous year interns which proves that it can happen.

Due to there being 20 interns in the power tools division alone there is an amazing social scene - especially during the hand over period where the other 20 interns are in the office too! Bosch made a Facebook group so that we could get to know each other before we physically met.

The cost of living is quite high, I moved in with 4 other people who I worked with. About half my wage goes on rent and bills. However the location is great for socialising as the local tube station is only a 10 minute walk from our home so I have been able to do a lot of things I have never done before and meet up with friends/family from home easily. I guess you get what you pay for!

The nightlife is pretty basic with only one nightclub and a few bars and pubs. However if you are willing to pay money to travel into London then the nights out are incredible however Uxbridge does not yet have the night tube so getting home can be expensive or you have to turn in early.

Yes there was weekly opportunities to do badminton for £1 at the local sports club. There were also opportunities to do pilates and zumba classes in the library for a small fee. However other than this there were little opportunity given by Bosch to of things outside of work that did not involve work.