Industrial Placement Review

I enjoyed the sense of achievement when a piece of work was completed and successfully implemented for clients to use. Having the freedom to decide on software designs allowed me to try out new techniques and experiment with new features, which was really enjoyable and gave me a real sense of job satisfaction.

I felt like a true member of the team, not just a placement student. I was invited to and arranged team volunteering and after-work events which really made me feel welcomed. Also, my contributions in the workplace were never played down due to my relative inexperience, which really helped in motivating me to improve.

My manager and other leaders within my business unit provided opportunities for me to improve my knowledge and experience, while supporting me if necessary. I felt comfortable undertaking new challenges, knowing that I had them to ask for help. Their support was invaluable and really helped me succeed in challenging situations.

We worked using Scrum, which allowed everyone in the team to maintain focus on projects over a two-week sprint. This ensured that there was always something to do. The ability to work from home allowed me to work later and maintain focus on a piece of work until it was completed.

I was asked to take on some complex projects that involved direct communication with account managers and technical support for external tools that Experian use. These projects had a lot of value for the business and gave me a sense of real responsibility, something I will take with me into future roles.

I got the chance to put my knowledge of Agile and Scrum into practice. I also improved my ability to delegate, document my thoughts, and help others in the team with their work. This will definitely help me in planning any future projects, both in my studies and in software development jobs.

The office felt welcoming and exciting, with the open plan really helping people collaborate and learn. The team ensured I felt like a permanent colleague, not just a placement student. The large quantity of staff in the open plan space often meant it was noisy when people were on calls, but that was infrequent.

Everything was organised months before I started my placement. The Early Careers team put me in touch with other placement students, and advised me on how to keep in contact to assist with applications for graduate placements. I knew exactly who to talk to, other than my line manager, if I ever had any questions about my placement.

I felt like the team cared about my development. They were always there to assist me, answer my questions, and direct me to documentation/courses where I can learn more. This really helped me succeed in tasks that I had little to no experience in, and gave me the confidence to take on more challenging projects.

I would consider joining Experian for a graduate scheme, but I would like to look for other opportunities too. Experian is really supportive of graduates; I've had the chance to meet some of the current graduates and they are very happy with the variety of job roles they can try.

I was introduced to some other placement students very early on, and we continued to meet for lunch and nights out throughout our placement. Not everyone was in the same office so it was a good excuse to visit at lunchtime. Many of the other placement students were not local so we got the chance to show them around.

I moved home to live with my parents for my industrial placement, so I was able to save quite a bit of money. This meant that I didn't struggle to afford events. I think I would have struggled had I lived away from home, or in a more expensive city like London.

Being a Nottingham local, it was really nice to visit old favourites and new bars and restaurants that have opened since I went to university. Everyone in my team had their own suggestions, so there was never a shortage of ideas for nights out, especially in areas I wasn't familiar outside of the city centre.

We had the opportunity to take up to three days each year for volunteering in the local community, which did not affect our holiday allowance. Most recently, I volunteered at a local RSPCA animal shelter. I really enjoyed getting out of the office, and everyone was happy with the work they did.