Finance Analyst Undergraduate Review

I really enjoyed my 13 month placement at Pfizer. I was given a lot of support from my team who were always happy to help me with any issues and was made to feel like a valued member of the team right from the beginning. I was gradually given more responsibility as my placement progressed and my knowledge of the role grew, building up to me doing the same tasks as full time Finance Analysts.

I felt really valued by all of my colleagues and was made to feel like the work I did mattered. From the beginning I was given my own responsibilities and daily tasks to complete which allowed me to work independently to build on my professional skills. I was very pleased that this was the case, as being given 'genuine' work whilst being a placement student was something I was really looking for in a placement.

My manager has been amazing with giving me constant support and guidance throughout my placement year. Whilst in the office I was sat beside my manager and she was always on hand to help me/explain anything I didn't understand whilst also allowing me to work autonomously to learn by myself. After having to work from home due to coronavirus, we have still stayed in constant communication through regular 1:1 video calls and also through instant messaging on Teams.

Due to the nature of this finance role, some days would be very busy whereas others would be relatively quiet. In the second half of my placement, quieter days would be used to work on project work however, when I first started I did struggle to find tasks to complete when it was quiet. Although, my colleagues were happy to let me help with their tasks which really helped me build my skillset and relationships with my colleagues.

I was given a lot of responsibility on my placement year and by the end had pretty much the same level of responsibility as a full time Finance Analyst. I was supporting 3 markets with minimal input from my manager, by the second half of my placement, and also had the opportunity to lead on my own project. Additionally, I assisted in recruiting the new interns which gave me a sense of achievement as it made me feel that the work I was doing was benefiting the department.

Due to my degree being in Accounting and Finance, this role helped give me a real insight into the sector I wish to build a career in. I was able to apply the knowledge I had learnt in my degree such as management accounting and financial accounting to a real-life working environment. Additionally, the role has helped me to greatly improve on my problem-solving, organisation and IT skills which will aid in my final year of studies.

The atmosphere in my office was really great, my department was so friendly and made me feel very welcome when I started. We would often be chatting throughout the day whilst working or go on coffee breaks together which made the office environment a really nice place to be. My colleagues were also all happy to help me with any questions I had and was never made to feel like a burden. There were also about 60 other placement students at the site so was also nice to chat with people undertaking the same experience as you.

The placement was set up excellently both with HR and with my department. The HR induction consisted of one week of onboarding sessions relating to the company as a whole such as a talk from the site lead, communicating in a business environment and sorting out admin items. My department also held 3 weeks of onboarding sessions in order to help me understand the reports we deliver. These sessions were very informative and really helped me get up to speed with the reports I would be producing.

The company was really good at offering training/development opportunities to placement students. I had the opportunity to become a STEM ambassador which focuses on volunteering in schools to teach children about science. I had a whole day of training in order to qualify to do this which helped me develop my teamwork and presenting skills. Additionally, I also completed the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt qualification which was a continuous improvement project in which I improved a process currently used in my department. I'm really pleased I was able to partake in these activities as it allowed me to make the most of my time at the company.

Pfizer run a graduate programme which is only open to students which have undertaken a placement at Pfizer which is really good, but it is not in the area I want a career in. However, my department placement students are often asked to return after graduating if job opportunities are available, which is encouraging. Many of my current colleagues were once interns so it is really encouraging to see that they like to invest in their talent pool.

My department was quite young compared to others with most colleagues in their 20's/30's so there were lots of opportunities to go out as a team such as for drinks or group activities which was fun. There were also a lot of placement students at my site with most of them living in Epsom. I didn't live in the area but still managed to go out with the other students a few times especially as there were trains to central London from Epsom station.

I wasn't renting in the area as I had relatives that lived near-by but Surrey can be an expensive area to live in. Most placement students would live in Epsom which had restaurants and pubs/bars but the train station also had links to Central London which can also be an expensive area to go out in.

There were quite a lot of pubs surrounding the office so would occasionally go out for drinks after work however, as I didn't live in the area I didn't really experience much nightlife in Surrey. However, all of the times I would go out with my colleagues/other students, I would mainly go out in London as there was a lot more to do.

Personally, I didn't really get involved in any activities outside of work but there were gyms/ sport clubs in the area if you were interested in joining any.