Finance support coordinator

My day started with a team meeting where the tasks to be completed that day were outlined. I would complete daily tasks included bank reconciliations, invoice processing and account reconciliations. I then had weekly tasks to complete which involved completing the VAS rec and compiling reports at the end of the week to present to managers to keep them updated on our teams performance. At the end of each month I had to perform month end tasks which involved reconciliations and preparing review files, summarising the teams performance throughout the month and year.

I developed my presentation skills through presenting the weekly Gemba meeting to my team and managers, prior to my placement I got very nervous when it came to presenting so having this task boosted my self confidence. I also improved my IT skills, I learnt lots of new skills in Excel and how to use systems such as SAP and MAM. My placement also improved my teamworking skills as I moved between lots of different teams so had to quickly build effective working relationships in each team.

Yes, I was given sole responsibility for a number of tasks throughout the year. During my time in Cash and Bank I was responsible for the BRS banking and Roadcrew invoice processing which helped me to learn how to prioritise my tasks and made me feel as though my role made an important contribution. During my time in R2R I was responsible for the VAS rec and managed to improve the process for completing it.

I received a lot of support from the different managers I worked under during my placement year. I spent the majority of my year working from home due to lockdown but during this time I had a weekly meeting with my manager to check on my progress and answer any questions I had. My managers were always happy to answer any questions I had during the week so my questions didn't build up to our weekly catch up.

The culture at Volvo was so friendly and welcoming, the Swedish culture is definitely felt throughout the business! The weekly 'Fika' meetings helped me to get to know other members of the team who I didn't work closely with, this made me feel more comfortable when I was able to go into the office as I knew everyone was really friendly! I felt comfortable to ask questions and make mistakes as I was never criticised for getting something wrong, it was always treated as a learning experience.

I really enjoyed my placement year at Volvo. I enjoyed the opportunity to experience a number of different teams and a variety of work. It showed me areas of finance I may want to pursue as a career, and equally areas that aren't for me! It was sometimes difficult to learn new tasks from home but I enjoyed the challenge it presented. I enjoyed learning how to use the computer systems which developed skills which will be useful in future jobs.

Yes

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