Maintenace Strategy Coordinator Review

I have really enjoyed my placement at Unilever. Everyone who I have worked with has been friendly and extremely helpful. This has helped me learn a lot and I have found the manufacturing industry really interesting. I like the ethos of the company and I think it has been particularly important to have such a strong ethos in this pandemic. I have felt safe coming to work and was able to work from home when I wanted to.

Everyone I met would give me their time to answer any questions I had whether they were related to my job or not. At the end of my placement I asked for feedback from colleagues I had worked with, they gave me positive feedback that made me feel valued and also constructive criticism I can use to improve my skills.

My manager has been very supportive throughout my placement. At the start of my placement I was working in a disordered way and they helped me form a work plan. I have developed the skills to work more autonomously throughout my placement and report to my manager less. I think this has developed my confidence in decision making.

My work varied with how busy I was. I enjoyed the busy days because I found my work interesting. Working in manufacturing meant many things were time critical so you had to be flexible if something urgent came up. On days where I was not so busy there were good online learning resources I could develop my skills doing courses online.

I felt I was given a good level of responsibility during my placement. I was working as part of a big project and the work I was doing could directly impact the success of the project. My manager was supportive in keeping the pressure on me low and also in keeping things in perspective.

I think my project management skills have improved during my placement. I have been working in a structured way and giving feedback on my progress to management. I think project management skills have also been developed from the exposure I have had to the big project that was going on, on site.

The atmosphere of the office is very friendly. Everyone is happy to answer any questions I have and will take the time to show me where something is if I ask. It is a light hearted atmosphere with people happy to share jokes as well as problems they have had that day.

I was given objectives when I started my placement and these became my work plan. Unilever put all the placement students up in a hotel before we started. This was a good time to meet other placement students and to learn more about what to expect from the placement. Onboarding was smooth.

I felt the company invested in placement students in general because of the set up of the scheme. The objectives for all placement students means you are given real work to do and have a real impact. The availability of online courses also helps with personal training. I was given opportunities to develop skills which will be useful in both my professional and personal life. for example I was able to go on a mental health first aid course.

I think the Unilever graduate scheme is appealing because of how much they invest in giving you a well rounded experience through rotations and mentoring. As a company they have shown how ethical decisions are smart business decisions. This was particularly shown during the Coronavirus pandemic when they were taking measures before the local government. I felt very well supported and it was also interesting to hear of the work they were doing worldwide.

I was the only placement student working on site, however there were several colleagues on the graduate scheme. The social scene was inclusive and I enjoyed going out for drinks with the graduates and with other colleagues.

The cost of living was much lower than I was used to at university. I had a much nicer room with an ensuite and bills included for a lot less than I was paying at university! There was plenty of option with supermarkets - 6 within walking distance. I also enjoyed being able to walk to work and had no need of a car. The only downside was I spent a lot on travel on the weekends as I lived alone and would travel to see friends.

There were several pubs and a few clubs where I worked. It was not a big city with a thriving atmosphere but it was good for drinks after work and entertaining friends on the weekend.

I started volunteering at the local Brownie unit. This was a good way to meet people local not from work and to learn about what was good in the area.