Credit Analysy Review

I enjoyed the placement throughout its duration. I was given projects as well as day to day tasks which kept the role interesting. I felt at times that I was given some projects which were insignificant however on the whole Volvo was a good place to start my career in finance.

I felt very valued by my team and was treated as an equal member throughout the placement however at times I felt i was given typical 'intern' work. On the whole, I was treated by my team and other colleagues as an equal, full time member of staff which was good.

I was given a lot of support from my line manager and he always made me feel like i could come to him with any questions or guidance. I was given help and direction when it came to projects I was working on alone and generally I was trained by him when I first started and given a lot of support.

I was always busy as there were always things to do. On the days where I wasn't busy I was able to complete university work and assignments/research. I never had a feeling of sitting around and doing nothing which is good as I am an active worker and like to be busy.

I was given a fair amount of work and responsibility as, as mentioned above, there were a lot of projects that I had to do alone which benefited and impacted the wider group which I had a lot of responsibility in making sure they were correct and to a high standard. I was also given the authority halfway through my placement to sign off things alone which was a big responsibility.

I had to know about accounting and how to read and interpret financial statements which will benefit me in my final year at university. As I was in a credit position in the financial arm of the Volvo Group, this will give me a huge advantage when applying for graduate schemes in the financial industry.

The atmosphere was generally friendly and comfortable to be a part of. Everyone worked at a leisurely pace and it was not stressful in the slightest. Generally the office was quiet however there is a good social aspect to working here as the financial arm is very small and it was possible to meet and talk to everyone often.

The HR intern was very good in organizing the transition in the role and I always felt that I had support and help if necessary. The structure created by my line manager was also well planned out as I had a training schedule at the start which taught me different key areas in the role.

I was given a mentor who helped me start up here and get used to the day to day job. There were lots of opportunities to take part in a lot of different seminars, volunteering or training so this was good. However this was for every employee so wasn't specifically for me. I don't think that I was invested too much into in the way of additional programs or training as this was all done on the job.

There are low employment prospects within Volvo as it is difficult to get promoted unless there is a vacancy and unless you have been working at the business for a long time. I felt that duration is valued more than ability here and that there is not much room for progression.

All of the interns used to go to the pub and go around the area at the start of the placement however it died out as different interns lived in different places in the midlands so it was hard. There are some pubs local to the office however you need to travel further out to reach a town with lots to do.

Living costs are reasonable and they are not as expensive as costs in the south of the UK. Warwick is quite a pricey area in terms of other costs however Birmingham isn't too far away which has a lot more choice and selectivity. Overall, the costs varied but were a lot cheaper than southern costs.

There is no nightlife in Warwick town centre as it is quite old and holds a lot of history. Leamington Spa is the next town and has a lot to do in terms of shopping, parks etc. Birmingham has the most nightlife and has Moor Street which has a lot of clubs, pubs, restaurants etc.

There were a lot of initiatives at the Volvo Group and you were encouraged to do volunteering etc. There were also a lot of training programmes which allowed you to develop your skills in an array of things (i.e. presenting, Excel etc.). There was an encouragement to get people involved in helping the community.