Marketing Review

Everything I wanted to get out of my placement year I got. I wanted a company that gave me responsibilities which I could then learn from and develop. I also wanted a company with a good culture and an enjoyable social side to it as well. I loved the team I worked for.

From the minute I arrived, I was thrown straight into the deep end and was given lots of tasks. It was clear the team had to rely on me to be successful and my role was a major part to the success of the team. This made me feel really valued.

My manager was very good at supporting me in my role. Although she was very busy and in lots of meetings, whenever there was a time when I was struggling she would always be there for me, give me support and also give me direction of how to overcome what I was dealing with.

Like any role my busyness fluctuated throughout the year. There were times that were nutoriously busy for the company (around Christmas time) where I was non stop busy and the team could just about cope. There were also stages where this intensity died down which was a good time to catch up on lower priorities.

I would say this was the biggest surprise and possibly the best thing from my placement year. The responsibility I was given as an intern was tremendous. Being able to lead social media campaigns, have integral parts to play in the biggest campaigns in the year was so valuable in my experience and personal improvement.

In terms of study I don't think there is a direct development in terms of my modules. However, the application to work and work ethic is definitely something I have improved on which will help my studies. Also, beyond my studies - the skills I have learnt will be very useful for interviews and jobs in the future.

The atmosphere in the office was a very positive, open and friendly environment. It was a place I looked forward to entering and allowed for a very enjoyable experience. The culture in the office was very open minded and people would often smile at you and try to help you if they could.

My placement role had been a position for many years prior to me which meant it was very clear what they expected and what my responsibility was in the role. I had a clear manager and sub manager and it was clear who I could speak to if I needed support.

Another great aspect to my placement was it was very clear the company and my team wanted me to improve as an individual as opposed to just wanting me to complete the tasks for the team. I was able to complete my mental health first aid course and go off with different teams to learn about different roles.

This negative scoring is no reflection on the placement opportunity or any experience for the company. Future employment in this organisation does not appeal to me because of the industry it is in. I worked for GE Healthcare and the healthcare industry is not a passion of mine therefore I would like to experience another industry.

On my placement there were forty other interns completing there placements. Although this sounds like a good potential for a social scene, due to the area I was in there was not much going on. This meant there were limited socials as there was not anywhere easy to go after work.

As I was situated just outside London the prices in the area was very high. This was a big deterent for socialising to happen and we had to reduce the amount of times we would have socials. Also I had to rent near work as I couldn't commute from home> the cost of rent was very high.

There was practically no nightlife in the area I worked and there was nothing locally. To enjoy nightlife we would have to venture into London however this made it very expensive which was frustrating. Due to it being expensive we could not do this very often and not everyone was happy to do it.

There were lots of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. The company was very encouraging for you to make the most of your time and hence they would promote possible opportunities to get involved in. However I am sure compared to London there were not as many activities available.