B2B PR and Social Media Assistant Review

I have had many fantastic opportunities whilst at Panasonic. Working as part of the European B2B division gave me the opportunity to travel to Amsterdam, Paris and Germany, working across cultures which I have found fascinating. As a B2B PR and social media assistant I have developed numerous skills and been given a lot of responsibility.

Working as part of a close-knit team I have made amazing friendships during my year, both in the UK and abroad. I never felt like 'just a student' and was always a valued member of the team trusted with important tasks. My opinion was always asked for and I was encouraged to speak up and challenge ideas if I felt it was right.

My manager was always very supportive and interested in my personal development. I had the opportunity to take part in further training if I asked for it and could also shadow in other departments to get a wider idea of the business. The structured feedback sessions in place at the three month stage and at the end of my placement allowed me to identify ways to improve.

I always had something to do even during the quieter periods in the year. This job is not for someone who wants an easy ride but it wasn't too intense either. At busy times such as around trade shows it could get quite hectic but the team were always understanding and I very rarely took work home with me.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement. Myself, a co-intern and our manager were responsible for managing all of the European PR within Panasonic and when he sadly left towards the end of the year, we managed it alone. I was trusted to organise external visits, conduct interviews with customers and write it up when back at the office. Panasonic were keen to let me try things I showed an interest in, for example within social media. I was able to pitch an idea for a project, execute it myself and just ask for assistance when needed.

One of the things you gain from this placement is the credibility of a large company but with the same benefits you'd get at a small company. As teams are quite small, it's often all hands on deck to get things done and people are willing to let you have a stab at things if you want to. Although sometimes things can feel a bit disorganised because of this, Panasonic are interested in developing you as an individual and that's very important. I have learnt a huge amount and am very grateful to Panasonic for the opportunity.

The atmosphere in the office was great! I don't think I have ever come across such a friendly group of people and it's really relaxed. Plenty of opportunity to chat and get to know people you are working with. Very quiet on Fridays as quite a lot of people work from home but other than that great!

The placement was well organised in that once I'd been offered the job I got invited to a student induction where we could visit the office for a day and go house hunting.

I felt like Panasonic did really invest in my development although a lot of that was down to my manager. There was some training such as excel and presentation training where I gained useful skills to take away and I felt that if i'd asked for more training I probably would have got it.

Panasonic don't have a graduate scheme and the PR role I am currently in will not be continued after this year. There are many employees in the office that have been previous students but the permanent job opportunities are few and far between. It's great to gain some good experience and leave but there isn't much chance of coming back.

The social scene was great! Bracknell is a bit of a hole but Reading is okay. Plus London is very easy to get to if you get bored. There were 14 placement students in total so plenty of people to hang out with in your free time. There's a company induction before you start which gives you the opportunity to find accommodation together. I was lucky to have a great team so I ended up socialising with them even more than the students, nights out, BBQ's and pub lunches were quite a regular occurrence.

I lived on the outskirts of Reading which is pretty expensive! Rent was more than I paid than in Bournemouth and Bristol. Everything else was about the same and it's nowhere near as bad as London so you can save quite a bit of money if you're careful with it.

Reading is pretty dead as a town, there's a couple of clubs but nothing much to write home about. London isn't far away which is a plus for something more interesting. It's not as bad as it could be, I would advise either living in Bracknell so you can walk to work or live in central Reading for the nightlife and shopping. Avoid the middle ground where you get stuck in traffic for hours and are equally as far away from both.

I had a great team and got on well with my housemates so had plenty to do. I had a very active social life throughout the year and got to attend quite a few awards evenings and nights out with my team whilst I was away at trade shows or events.