Junior Product Developer Review

I really enjoyed my time at Co-op whilst on placement. I was part of large high profile projects but also got to do a lot of other jobs within my role and expand my network. I joined in the product development team which allowed me to help create and design new products to launch whilst also meeting many consumers needs and provide excitement & tasty products for them.

The coop have a really good sense of community within all of their teams especially in the DFT (Delicous Food Team) as we are all like a family to each other. There are no silly questions and someone is always there to chat to or ask advice. They support you when you need it but also let you work things out on your own to build your experience.

I was given a lot of support and guidance by the team, I didn't have a direct manager for a period of time during my placement, in which time my 2 direct colleagues and the head of the chilled department stepped in and offered advice and support when I needed it.

You'd have busy days and quiet days, some days were spent in various locations around the country visiting sites, having innovation days or going on trawls. Overall it was a great balance and I never felt stressed that I had too much work to be doing, sure there were slightly busier days which were harder than other but overall the balance of it was great.

I was given responsibility for some projects but was mainly there to support and give my opinion and advice throughout the process. This may have been a one off as the following students have all been given designated projects to work on and will deliver them by the end of their placement.

I felt them really helpful, I went back into Uni knowing a lot more than I would've done previously. It puts everything into perspective and helped me understand why we were doing certain things.

The office atmosphere was great, there was always people chatting and sometimes it went quiet but there was no restrictions on popping some earphones in and listening to some music, or starting up a chat with whoever you were sat next to that day. As the office was all based on Hot desking it means you didn't have a set desk so you could sit wherever you wanted in the building. You did usually sit near people you know though unless you want to be really adventurous.

The placement was well-organised and structured. In the first few weeks we had inductions organised with various people in the business showing how the whole NPD process works and who is involved at various stages. This also gave us insight into what the other placement students would be doing so we wouldn't be siloed in our work. When we arrived we had everything set up with just a couple of IT issues but the whole organisation was done well.

The company is great at improving its workers, there are sessions throughout the year on how to improve yourself in a number of ways as well as specific days to improve certain areas of yourself. There are also a number of self-paced online workshops where you can learn more about skills and how to improve them all. Overall there are a lot of opportunities for you to take to improve your skills and invest in yourself from work-skills to more personal skills and mental well-being.

I would love to work for them again and at the end of my placement i was offered an extension for a few months which i took and actually worked right up until i started Uni again. Then i went to do some manufacturing experience with a large company I worked very closely with on placement. Then a few months into it i was approached by coop about a job in development. I applied and got through the process and am back working there now.

There is a great social scene among students. At the beginning of placement before you start all the students are introduced to each other to see if they'd like to share accommodation or meet-up before. I really liked this and I know other years have liked this process too. Then on the first few weeks all the students are encouraged to have lunch or a break together to give them time to relax and feel more comfortable together.

Manchetser isn't the cheapest area but there is a lot of student accommodation which is easily accessible through public transport. There is also easy travel to the smaller areas outside of Manchester which are a lot cheaper. If you're struggling to find somewhere there is a whole network of people inside and around Manchester who can help you find somewhere and then there's the whole student group who may also be able to help you too.

The nightlife in Manchester is great, there are loads of small restaurants but also the whole nightclub scene.

Yes there were quite a few opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. There were team days where we all did different team-building exercises & games followed by a night to for those who wanted to go. Then there were also nights organised by the students on placement where we'd go and do something together small or a full night out. We were also encouraged to do more together inside and outside of work with all colleagues including volunteering.