Finance Controlling Assistant Review

I really enjoyed my placement year at Volkswagen Group UK in the Finance department. It was a fantastic opportunity in which I managed to work with people of high importance and do things I never thought I would. The people that worked there made it what it was, with their helpfulness and being so down to earth.

Within my team I felt valued as an individual, however there was times where I had limited work to complete and had offered my assistance. Occasionally I felt like my team did not know what to do with me or what work they actually wanted me to compete. With the work I did have responsibility for, my team was very happy with the quality of my work.

Myself and my manager got on very well on a personal level, however at some points they were unsure what work I was doing or what work to give me. Due to my manager getting promoted to a different department, I was without a direct manager for half my placement.

At the start of the month I was busy with a high workout to compete to a deadline, in which I met every month. Towards the later end of the month I would be without meaningful work, however this did give me time to complete my university work for placement.

For the work I did at the start of the month, I had a lot of responsibility for. Working within the finance department the figures I dealt with were crucial to departments around the business. Throughout my placement I would meet with cost centre managers to discuss their budget, and help with any questions regarding the costs in their cost centre.

My placement gave me a lot of great professional skills that I will definitely apply to my future career. In regards to university, the skill I can apply the most is the improvement of my Excel skills. This was due to the fact myself and other undergraduates got the opportunity to go on Excel courses throughout the year. These were really beneficial.

In the finance department it would tend to be quiet, which is expected. The people throughout the department got on with one another great and everyone would ask how each other was etc. The personal relationships were strong and on a professional level this helped as people knew one another and became more comfortable.

For myself, the placement role I was given was not organised well. On my first day I did not get a laptop, so I couldn’t get on with any work straight away. Also in my first few weeks, my manager and team was unsure what work to give to me and what I am going to do throughout the month.

There was several opportunities to develop key skills. At the start of the placement there was a lot of training that was crucial to work at Volkswagen. Then throughout the year you could sign up for relevant training that would benefit your knowledge of the company and increase your professional skills.

Volkswagen offer graduate opportunities throughout the business, however they don’t offer a graduate position within finance, where I was based in my placement year. This is disappointing for myself as I am not interested in any other graduate positions, strictly finance as this relates to my degree. It would have been a great company to go back to.

One of the best things about working at Volkswagen was the fact I was part of a cohort of 40 other undergraduates. This was great for the social scene as there was always someone to do something with outside of working hours. Also when walking through the company you would always see a familiar face to say hello to.

I am from the north, so the cost of living down south was more expensive, but I was expecting it to be. The cost of living in Milton Keynes was adequate. In my opinion the salary should have been adjusted to cater for the cost of living in Milton Keynes.

It was a slight change from University life in liverpool to working in Milton Keynes. However the nightlife was good in the centre of the city. Friday nights were good when we went out to the bars, especially Revs de Cuba! The drinks however were expensive and not student prices.

The opportunities outside of work were mainly relating to sport. Within my first week I was playing football with my colleagues and within a couple of months I was organising the football within my department. This was the only constant activity I did with colleagues outside of work. Also around once a month there would be a department after work drinks.