Communications and Press Industrial Placement Review

I have had a fantastic year on placement with Nissan Motor GB in Communications and the Press Office; I have gained a great deal of experience and confidence and was given real responsibility. Nissan is a great company to work for with friendly colleagues and opportunities to up-skill and expand your industry knowledge. I end my placement wanting even more experience in the industry!

The working environment was great and I was treated like a full-time employee. My colleagues valued my creativity, ideas and opinions in team meetings and every department was welcoming of placement students. It was great to see the work I produced for Comms being used/read all around the office.

I felt supported every step of the way! I had daily contact with my line manager who really cared about my development. Once I had settled into my role I was able to work more and more autonomously due to this support. Plus, as a placement student, my progress was reviewed every quarter to make sure I had everything I needed to be the best I could.

I was given real exposure to the job and so there was always something for me to do! A good balance was struck between daily jobs, more long term projects and personal time to read up on the latest industry trends. My role also allowed me to be proactive and creative and find my own things to work on, too.

I was given a high amount of responsibility and challenging, engaging daily work. My team was quite small and so I was given tasks well above my 'level' which was rewarding. My team relied on me to undertake this, and to work on key moments for the office as part of Internal Comms!

One reason I undertook a placement was to develop my skills for my final year at university, and my placement at Nissan did just that! I will return with time management skills, business insight, greater self-awareness and the enthusiasm to continue to learn at every opportunity. I have developed an immense amount and have gained skills for life.

The office had character and my team really defined my time at Nissan because they were always upbeat. Colleagues from all departments were approachable and you had the sense everyone was driven by the same goal of innovation and improvement! Nissan also adapted very well to working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic and I still felt connected to my colleagues.

The work placement was very well organised and professional and I felt as though our needs as students and first time workers were well-considered throughout the year. On my first day, I received a company induction with all the other placement students and a two-week handover in my role from the previous placement student!

I felt as though Nissan put our development at the foreground in order to shape us as the leaders of tomorrow! The placement programme was strengthened by an infinite library of online courses, on the job experiences and being encouraged to work cross-functionally.

It would be very appealing to continue to work for Nissan. The Sales and Marketing office where I undertook my placement offer a Graduate Scheme which looks like a promising career path to further develop on!

The company is very people orientated and the atmosphere in the office is sociable. My team were interested in each other's well-being and personal lives! There was a network of 15 placement students and so there was always someone to talk to or have lunch with, and many opportunities to socialise outside of work too.

I would commute to work and found that the cost of socialising in the area was as expected for the outskirts of London. Nissan also pays well and so the cost was not an impacting factor.

The best option for nightlight would be to hop on a tube and head to central London (which is only about a 50-minute journey from the office), where there are many options.

There was a sport and social club which included a football team, aerobics club and running club. There were also opportunities to socialise with your team outside of work or go on team building days.