Product Marketing Assistant Review

I have been on a 2 year placement in Toyota's Product Marketing team, and I have loved every minute. I got to get involved with real launches of vehicles to the UK market. I was given huge responsibilities on business critical tasks such as Pricing and Homologation, as well as a plethora of other activities. Some of the models I helped bring to market include the Face lifted 2019 Aygo, Yaris GRMN (Hot Hatch), New Generation Corolla, and the Iconic Toyota Supra.

My role within the company was working in a team of 4 people that have a huge amount of responsibilities when it comes to launching a vehicle. This meant that I also had to interact with many other stakeholders around the business to ensure that tasks were completed and the rest of the business was kept in the know. being the owner of many tasks and important data meant that I felt extremely valued by all people within the organisation, even those at the very top such as the directors.

Weekly 1-1's with my line manager were the norm at TGB. There is a very clear and evident culture of supporting people and guiding their progression. I worked with both coaches and mentors to help bolster my own development as well as attending many training courses that the company provided me access to.

Being in Product Marketing there was never a quiet day! One of the areas that I struggled with in the first couple of months of my placement was my time management as there were very high volumes of work and I wasn't used to a corporate environment, however after attending time management training I learnt how to better prioritise my work and be more proactive not just reactive.

As part of my role in Product marketing I had to work on core deliverables that if were not completed then Toyota simply would not have been able to launch the car! for regular launches it was my responsibility to ensure the following activities could be achieved; - Vehicle Registrations - Vehicle Insurance - Vehicles Finance - Pricing Set - Homologation Downloaded after performing well on my day to day I was also given greater responsibilities on both some unique customer journey launches for our Gazoo Racing products where I was a sole point of contact for both customers and the dealer network to ensure that the launch was carried out successfully.

I couldn't be more thankful to Toyota for how much they have taught me during my 2 years here. I strongly believe that the capabilities that I have been developing through my personal development plans have set me up for a fantastic future career. I have managed to secure a placement now on the Toyota Graduate Programme and I am hoping that in 18 months time I will be moving into a permanent role within the business.

The Culture at Toyota is amazing. there is absolutely no doubt in my mind as to why they constantly rank in the Times top 100 companies. from parties and social events, to music Fridays and the occasional treats from the HR team be that a ice cream van when its sunny or a bottle of Prosseco at Xmas. The culture at TGB is truly to be admired.

My team did a fantastic job of ensuring that I understood my job role from day 1 and I had a 2 week handover with the previous student to learn as much as possible. after this everyone was very supportive in helping me get the most out of my time at TGB as well as supporting me with my studies.

I have attended more training sessions at Toyota than I could even count. However this wasn't because I was bad at my job but because I expressed an interest in my development. I was also given a study day once every 2 weeks due to the unique nature of my degree. and amazingly Toyota sponsored the final years payment for my studies.

off the back of completing the student programme I am now moving onto the TGB graduate scheme. I now have my hard set on achieving a permanent role within the business after completing the grad programme as I am a huge advocate for the company and I couldn't imagine working elsewhere

At Toyota there was a cohort of 21 students meaning that there were lots of other people in the same situation who you can befriend and socialise with. lots of the students are encouraged to get into contact with one another before joining the business and arrange accommodation to live together also.

The One downside to my placement was the cost of living in the immediate area. the average student will likely pay around £600 rent per month not including bills. socialising was also very expensive with the only active nightlife close by being London so be prepared for £6 pints and high entry fee's

in the immediate area the nightlife was very poor to non existent, however if you were willing to get a 25min train to London then there is a plethora of clubs and bars to choose from. you would just need to be over the age of 21 to be allowed in most venues.

As with any area there are clubs and teams that you could join if you are willing to go and find them in the local area especially as you move closer to London. however I personally haven't gotten involved with many clubs outside of the clubs and teams from work.