Paralegal Review

I very much enjoyed my placement - I did variety of task throughout the year and my level of responsibility has increased. I was given constructive feedback and had an opportunity to work with different employees from different business areas. I attended a lot of external training sessions which developed my presentation and communication skills.

I felt valued and appreciated by my colleagues. Volvo Group has a very inclusive culture and your efforts are generally appreciated. In Volvo Financial Services, appreciation of other's work is encouraged - if you have done a good job, you will not only receive a positive feedback but also a ticket entitling you to a little prize.

My Manager was always happy to provide me with a support and useful guidance when I struggled to complete given task. Rather than giving me a ready answer, my Manager would point me towards different direction in my research. I believe such method not only gave me needed support but also enabled to enhance my individual research skills.

It varied from week to week but on a general basis I was quite busy. I was always participating in at least on project where I would need to meet deadlines and work with the team. I had also urgent research to complete, however most of the time the work I was doing was not that urgent. I was busy by acting proactively when asking for more work and by planning my work.

Notwithstanding the guidance I was given and all the support I received, I was given quite a lot of responsibility. I was running my own compliance project from start to finish and I needed to organise and manage my own time. I went abroad on a business trip twice and was contacting different institutions on behalf of the company.

I believe that my ability to manage my time made my better organised and more productive which will help me during my final year at University. Similarly, I look forward to using my individual research and drafting skills during my final year. Placement year at Volvo Group enhanced my understanding of business environment, motor industry and different areas of law that goes beyond university studies. I aim to use that knowledge when applying for graduate schemes in the future.

Varied between departments. In general everyone was helpful and friendly, they are genuinely interested in you as a person and your development. The main office itself is quite a vibrant place with many events and guests visiting. Any changes in regards to organisation were communicated and there is a sense of community because of different initiatives available to everyone within the group.

From the outset, I was informed about the set up of my team and was introduced to the wider team. From the first day I knew what my responsibilities would be and on what projects I will be working on. At the same time, my Manager was flexible with adjusting placement to my needs.

The company paid for my external training sessions, even at the very end of my scheme when I wouldn't use gained skills with Volvo anymore. They really invest in your personal development and want you to get the most out of the placement. During the placement, I went abroad twice - global outlook and integration with wider team is encouraged at Volvo.

I would love to come back to Volvo in some time. At the moment, however, there are no prospects for continuing development with the organisation as there is no graduate schemes on offer. It means that in order to enhance my career prospects and training, I do not consider to go back to Volvo straight after University.

Placement students spend a week of induction together but after that we are assigned to our departments and there is no / little interaction with the whole group of placement students. In terms of interaction with colleagues, it depends on the team you are in and the area of business you work for.

The costs of living in Warwickshire is more expensive that in other parts of West Midlands but cheaper to London or South. You can rent a house with other interns or commute by car (if applicable) to keep the costs down. The price of socialising is average, there are company discounts on offer.

Depending on where you life. There are some night clubs in Leamington Spa and it is quite common to go to Coventry or Birmingham. I would not put my bar too high but there are definitely worst / more boring areas to live. The prices are alright for a student budget.

There are different committees within Volvo Group and you can get involved in charitable events or family events. There were also some yoga classes organised and some sports days. Unfortunately it is easy to miss out on those as the activities, particularly at the beginning of the placement, were not advertised.