European PR Assistant Review

I really enjoyed my work placement at Panasonic. The company culture in the B2B division has been a welcome surprise to the business world, as everybody is so warm and welcoming. We have had a lot of opportunities to build relationships with our team on work events in both the UK and Europe, and I have also been lucky to form friendships where we enjoy spending time together on weekends. The level of responsibility I have received during this year has also been incredible. It has really pushed me to expand my skill set and ensure I am better placed to working in PR in the future.

My colleagues at Panasonic have made a big difference to my placement year. My team-mates are willing to give me a lot of responsibility and also trust my decisions when I try and suggest the best way we can work. Everybody has been invested in my development and have been willing to give positive feedback and constructive criticism when I have asked for it. I have built some real friendships this year, not only with the other students but with members of my team. They have made coming in to work each day very pleasant and I am going to miss them all a lot!

I had one of the best managers on my placement year. Even from the start of the year in July he was happy for me to work independently without micro-managing at all. This gave me the opportunity to try and use my initiative when I was set a task to do, but also know he was there if I ever needed the help. I worked across from him for the whole year, so we would often chat to each other during the day and discuss my responsibilities. He was also willing to sit down with me during the year and offer me constructive criticism. This has been really helpful for my development, as I can focus on new areas of improvement and constantly try to better my working skills.

My workload was incredibly varied across the year, depending on deadlines and events. My two main peaks occurred around September and February when I was organising the press and writing releases for two large European events. I also had a lot of peaks during the year when journalists were trying to meet printing deadlines for upcoming magazines. Typically, these came in around the same time, so I would be working hard to meet deadlines which could sometimes be quite limiting. Whenever I didn't have a deadline to meet, there was always something else to be getting on with. I took advantage of these times to offer extra support to the business divisions in regards to writing blog posts for Linked In and trying to improve our press contacts. At these times I could work more leisurely without an impending deadline, which was also a welcome break from the busier periods.

I was given a lot of responsibility on my placement year. In fact, it is often said at Panasonic that the placement roles could be undertaken by a full time employee. Across the year it was my responsibility to write a large number of press releases, Q/A, Panasonic case studies etc. The European team and UK team never hesitated to ask for guidance and it was really nice to feel like an integral part of the team. By the end of the year, my manager had also left the job role which meant that my responsibilities increased. This may sound daunting, but I actually found that it was one of the best things to happen for my development. Suddenly I was having to make more decisions about the relevance of the PR we were producing and the most appropriate message for the audience - something that had typically been voiced by my manager. Going forwards, I can honestly say I feel way happier and more comfortable about finishing University. I am more employable and really excited to see what the future will bring.

Taking a break from University was one of the best things for me. At Uni, I would often get quite stressed with the amount of work I had to do alongside a part time job and other responsibilities. However, looking back I can also see the amount of time I wasted by not using this time productively. Going to work has changed my routine to the point that I now know I can wake up and work from at least 9am, rather than working from 12pm at Uni. I also know that I can focus my attention more than I had done at Uni, by trying to limit the distractions around me when I had deadlines to meet. In terms of my skillset, I believe my writing has largely improved alongside my attention to detail. This should help me with my essay writing. In the future, I also know that I will feel more confident going into a graduate interview because I have had real working experiences to talk about.

There was always a good balance between working hard and having fun. Everyone is really friendly and we got along as friends, not just colleagues.

The application process was really nice. I had to submit a CV and cover letter, and then I was invited to telephone interview. From this point I then went to my assessment centre. On the day, I had to participate in a group task, complete 1x verbal reasoning and 1x numerical test. I then had to write a press release and create a PR campaign for a new product to be presented in interview. Following this, we had the more formal sit down interview questions. I was happy that Panasonic offered to pay for our travel down to the assessment centre and for an overnight stay the night before. This made it a lot easier for me to attend the interview coming from Leeds-Reading, and just made my whole morning a lot easier to then perform better in the assessment centre. This wasn't something that was offered in other assessment centres. From the point that we received the job offer, the process also went well. We had a day to meet the other students on induction. Although pressed for time, we also managed to use the following day to sign for a house to make it easier when relocating.

My manager was always invested in my development. He gave me a lot of opportunities to work outside my comfort zone and was willing to give me feedback throughout the year. We have a mid-term review before the end of our probation period when we discuss our skills and how we have done well/where we can improve. This is mandatory and is a good time to receive formal feedback. At the end of the year, we also go through the competencies as we have a bonus review. This is important to reflect back from the mid-term review, and see where things have improved or still need some work going forwards.

Unfortunately Panasonic does not offer a graduate scheme, but I do know that other students have come back to Panasonic when jobs have arisen. Personally I would like to remain closer to home so it is unlikely I will move back down to Panasonic. However, the company culture is certainly something I will miss!

I lived with a number of the other students, so I always had my housemates around on the weekdays. We would go to the gym together and travel in and out of work together. This was really nice for me, especially having relocated quite far from home. On weekends we would sometimes go out as placement students, but I also spent a lot of time with my colleagues. We went to London/Reading and had a number of BBQs. The social scene at events was also amazing. These are some of my favourite memories from Panasonic, when we were all able to enjoy an evening entertaining customers or attending awards nights.

The cost of living in Winnersh (middle of Bracknell and Reading) isn't too bad. I was paying more in rent than I would have at Uni, but this was to be expected when moving down south. Socialising is also pretty standard, unless you are going into London. You are still a student, so can use discounts when they are on offer.

I didn't go out too many times in Reading. I liked it as a place to socialise for meals and drinks at the riverside, but the night scene can be limiting at times. The revs and pop world are quite big, so they can be a lot of fun. There is also a purple turtle, which is always an experience!

This year I was a Macmillan rep, so we did a few activities outside of work but during work hours. For instance, we ran a bake sale, pancake sale, quiz, and even ran a 24 hour bike-a-thon. We also had a few opportunities to go abroad and attend events and awards ceremonies.