Marketing Executive Review

I was responsible for managing the demo and exhibition pools of devices within Xerox UK. In the beginning, I found the work load a struggle, but soon got used to this and appreciate that whilst I may have found it difficult to cope in the beginning, it was all part of a valuable learning curve.

I always felt like a valued member of the UK Marketing team, however sometimes would be expected to carry out extra tasks quickly for members of the team whom I wasn't reporting to, despite how busy I may have been with my own work.

Monthy one to ones helped me to grow professionally by setting myself goals and targets and then reviewing them against my actions.

How busy I was depended on the queries that I was receiving from sales people and concessionaires. I soon learnt how to manage my workload and could always ask for more work if I felt I had nothing to do.

I was fully responsible for managing the UK demo pool of devices. This meant that I was managing the entire process of the way in which customers could trial devices before they buy. I feel this was an extremely important task as this was the way in which most customers developed their first impressions of Xerox.

I have learned a lot about myself during my placement year at Xerox that I wouldn't have learned by doing a degree alone whilst also learning about how a blue chip organisation works and values its placement students as regular employees.

There were three other students in my department, so a laugh was never too far away.

There was a lot of opportunities to carry out personal training and to embark on extra courses if you felt the need. During one to one meetings, managers were always happy to discuss ways in which they could place you in different parts of the business to gain as much experience as possible in areas you are interested in.

I know that Xerox are developing and growing their Graduate schemes and that these job posts are made readily available for past Placement students by direct mail.

We were all placed into Brunel halls during the Summer when we started which was a great way of meeting other Placement students and for meeting housemates to move in with for the year. There is a yearly Networking party each Summer and we were out as a group of friends almost every weekend during Placement.

Uxbridge is Middlesex so it isn't as extortionate as some areas of London, but being on the Tube line, living is more expensive than what I was used to in the Midlands.

Uxbridge's nightlife was bearable if you were desperate for a night out, but we tended to save our money for Central London on the weekends where nightlife is obviously much better, but these clubs were an hour away on the Tube.