Marketing Industrial Placement Review

My overall job satisfaction was good and I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about an industry that I previously had no knowledge of. There was a lot of opportunity for travel which I found an extremely valuable experience. Although I would not say I enjoyed all aspects of the job the life and job experience accrued along the way was extremely valuable and has better prepared me for my return to university.

I had a good relationship with the majority of my colleagues and in general the people at the site I was working at were friendly and welcoming. I sometimes felt there was a lack of support or feedback from some management to encourage me that I was doing a good job, but this was on a very small scale and in most cases people were very supportive and made me feel valued.

My line manager or other managers would always attend events with me to give me support and help if necessary. The work I was supposed to be focused on was always very structured so I was always aware with what I should be focusing on. I was always encouraged to approach management if I needed help.

With the nature of my job the workflow varied from day to day. Most days there were at least a few tasks that would keep me busy throughout the day and sometimes I would be rushed off my feet especially around the time of events. there were on some occasions where I was not busy, but during these times I would seek more work from my line manager to ensure I was doing something of use

I was given a lot of responsibility during this placement which I am extremely pleased of as it pushed me out of my comfort zone and has consequently benefitted my professional development. throughout the year I have been responsible for organising customer events, taking control of low level projects and organising marketing materials.

Throughout the year I have developed a range of work place skills which going forward I will be able to use during the rest of my degree and after graduation. For me these have been the most valuable skills that I have learnt and I believe will give me the extra edge during future interviews

The general atmosphere in the office was good, there was lots of friendly characters and extra curricular activities such as football, badminton and running to allow you to get to know more people on site. The only downside was there were only 2 other placement students, although we all got on extremely well we would have enjoyed having a wider group to socialise with

The placement was well organised, I was put into a well defined role with a clear idea of what I was supposed to be working on. All of this allowed me to further develop my workplace skills and also push me out of my comfort zone when necessary. Regular meetings with my line manager were useful.

In terms of development I have seen a great deal of professional development throughout the year but I believe this has been mainly down to exposure to certain working environments having been chucked in a the deep end at times. Certain aspects of the job could certainly do with more training before being exposed to the experience

There are a wide range of opportunities within Johnson & Johnson and the main thing is to get your foot through the door and get experience of working with J&J even if it is in a role you don't think will be relevant to you in the future. All experience is good experience and you should try and be exposed to as many parts of the business as you can during your placement year. The wide range of graduate opportunities are extremely appealing

Unfortunately for our site there was only myself and two other placement students based in the area. We all got on extremely well and lived together happily for the full year which was one of the best things to come out of the year. We did all however comment on the fact that we wish there were more placement students on site much like the other sites so that we would have more people to socialise with

The area I was based on was extremely affordable which meant saving money has been easy throughout the year, we were fortunate enough to house share with the other two students which also brought down costs and I would recommend doing this to any other students embarking on a placement year

The nightlife was good in the area, with a few night clubs within a bus ride away or 15-20 min taxi ride, more locally to where we lived there was a few bars and nice local restaurants which we all enjoyed and probably spent most of our free time at.

I was heavily involved with the 5 aside team throughout the year and also played in some charity matches. As a result I will also be going to Latvia before I leave to take part in the J&J annual football tournament which I am extremely excited about. There was also badminton clubs, running and office nights out such as bowling and the xmas party