Marketing Executive Undergraduate Review

I've really enjoyed my placement at VWFS. I found it a welcoming and enjoyable environment to be in, especially for placement students who have often not had the experience of a office job before. I felt like a valued member of the team from the beginning and learnt more than I thought I would!

The team I worked with were really welcoming and helpful right from the start of my placement. Both my team and other teams that I've worked with in the department seem to value the input of placement students and appreciate what we can bring as long as you are enthusiastic and willing to contribute.

My manager, and all the other members of my team, were really supportive all the way through my placement. I felt that I could ask any questions and they were always there to help when I needed it. They gave me the right level of support but also allowed me to figure things out independently when needed which I think is important.

The majority of my days were very busy and there was always something for me to do. This was actually one of the main reasons why I enjoyed my time at VWFS so much as I was constantly occupied with such a wide variety of different tasks. It was definitely never boring!

Considering I was on a placement year, I was given more responsibility than I thought I would. As the year went on, my responsibilities grew beyond what I expected. My manager and team were good at recognizing when I was able to pick up more responsibility and helped me familiarise myself with new tasks or areas of the business to achieve this.

During my time at VWFS, I attended training for things such as presentation skills, Excel and marketing specific courses which will be helpful in my final year of university and when I return to the workplace. My placement also introduced me to some skills needed to succeed at work, as well as helping me to learn what to look for in future employment.

The atmosphere is friendly and professional. Everybody is there to do their job and works hard, but will always be sociable when they can. It wasn't very busy in the office that I worked in but it meant that it was more familiar and you got to know more people that you wouldn't in a big office.

As there is a big group of placement students at VWFS, we are seen as a valuable part of the company and recognised as employees/co-workers in our own right. As well as all the usual employee benefits, we also benefited from different events set up for our group specifically such as training. I would say that the placement was organised well from start to finish.

There are lots of opportunities for personal training and development in the company, including online learning modules and different training courses which you are encouraged to sign up to. If you are interested in doing something specific then you are supported in whatever way possible.

I would definitely be interested in going back to VWFS, especially in the marketing department. I felt really comfortable with my team and valued as a co-worker and not just as a student. It is an encouraging and supportive company to work for with great opportunities and a nice environment.

The social life was good, especially within the group of placement students. We all got on well and socialised both inside and outside of work. As the group of us is so big, it was fun when we all got together.

I commuted from home, so didn't live in Milton Keynes. However, the cost of living when we went out seemed to be pretty average. It's not a student town and doesn't have a university so compared to student living it is a bit more expensive.

As it isn't a student town, the nightlife is different to being at university but it was still good. There are lots of bars and restaurants in the centre and at the weekend it always seemed to be busy.

There were some opportunities to get involved with activities outside of work but not too many as some people commute, have families and are just generally busy! There were quite a lot of opportunities for social activities with the other placement students and a few with other colleagues which was nice.