Business Process and Project Management Review

I have found my placement extremely enjoyable and rewarding. It has enabled me to develop a variety of transferable and desired employment skills, as well as experience the corporate environment first-hand. Flexibility of work hours and working from home has enabled me to see my family more regularly, despite moving hundreds of miles from home which has been a huge bonus. Joining the company at the same time as many other undergraduates has enhanced the experience as it made the office environment more joyful.

How valued I felt would often depend on my workload and business knowledge. If I had a lot of knowledge about a process, so was able to offer a valid opinion then I have felt more valued. Whereas in situations where I have been part of a team/ meeting/ project where I do not have a great understanding, I have felt that my opinions were not as important. Many of my team members were extremely inclusive and engaging which made me feel more welcome.

My managers have been an amazing part of my placement. They have offered a substantial amount of support throughout the whole year. They have ensured they were always available to answer questions and made sure I had a good understanding of processes and software's I was working on. I have had regular meetings with managers which was nice. My managers has encouraged self-improvement through training courses, goal setting and giving me responsibilities. They have also assisted with achieving my goals for the year and encouraged completing university work.

My workload has varied throughout placement. At times I have been extremely busy and enjoyed having multiple task/ projects to balance. Sometimes there have been very large tasks which have been complex and lasted months. Other have been short and simple tasks which were faster to complete. Whereas, at other times the workload had depleted which has at times caused me to be dissatisfied and bored. However, this did allow me time to spend on self-improvement by completing lots of Pfizer training modules and my university work.

When the opportunity has arisen I have been given many large responsibilities for an undergraduate such as leading being part of many projects acting in various roles such as, lead, support, coach and member. These responsibilities enabled me to better understand the business and it's processes; which was essential for the first few months of placement. It has also developed many skills; these will likely contribute to my future career goals, as well as help me to decide what this goal may be.

Reflecting on the past year there are so many skills that I have had the opportunity to improve, which are applicable to university studies and will likely help me with final year. Such as public speaking and presentation skills, Pfizer have offered 2 opportunities for training this year which focused on these areas and are largely applicable to University but also future working life. Also skills such IT competence, communication, innovation, initiative and time-management to list a few, are skills which are thoroughly developed through project work, practice and training.

As there were lots of other undergraduates who joined at the same time and sat at the same desk as me, the atmosphere as always great at work. Very chatty and fun. We are encouraged to take regular breaks and bring joy to our work which is great as it make the atmosphere more enjoyable. Other departments were around us who were also chatty, laughing and sociable. Overall the work environment was generally very fun.

Very well organised overall, it is clear that it has been done here for many years.

I have had lots of online training at the beginning of my placement to introduce me to processes and software's. Following this I was able to request one-to-one training if required throughout the year. My manager encouraged my participation in 2 public speaking training classes, this was funded by Pfizer, specifically my department. I have also taken part in several other online courses to further my knowledge such as EI, teamwork, problem solving and social influence.

There are many career opportunities with in Pfizer for graduates. It is unfortunate the graduate scheme is only available for marketing/ sales. However, there are multiple opportunities to return to the company within a normal role. This is more promising once an undergraduate placement has been completed as you are able to network throughout the year and keep in contact with your colleagues. Pfizer is an amazing company to work for, so a future within the company would be very appealing to many people.

The social scene was great because a large group of undergraduates joined at the same time. This meant that it was very easy to make friends and keep busy out of work hours. But also created a nice atmosphere whilst at work, if taking a break or during lunch there was always a large amount of people who you knew in the building. Colleagues were also friendly, a few events were organised with colleagues external to work which was lovely too.

The cost of living in Kent is expensive. Rent and bills are quite high compared with other areas of the country. The pubs are also more pricey and nights out can get ridiculous if admission prices and taxi's are needed, which quite often they are! Food is not too expensive as there is a large selection depending on price range I.e. Aldi, Asda, Waitrose Train prices are not too bad as Pfizer offer a half price rail card to London, but this is only for singles on the day of purchase, I would recommend getting a railcard if you haven't got one.

There is no nightlife in Sandwich. Just a few small pubs. It is possible to live in the nearby town of Canterbury which has some amazing nightclubs because of the university there, however this is quite pricey. There are also a few great pubs here, which do cheaper food/ drink and offer student night. It is also possible to live in Ramsgate as this is nearby, this has lots of pubs, the biggest Weatherspoons in England and one small club which is great fun.

Pfizer encourage us to volunteer, as we are paid for 5 days a year of volunteering. These activities can be complete outside of work also. STEM is also a big part of Pfizer which colleagues are encouraged to get involved with and be a part of. These activities often involve teaching school children about science, another way of volunteering. Many undergraduates have also been funded by their department to take part in Toastmaster, an international organisation for improving communication and public speaking.