Administrative Assistant Review

I didn't enjoy the pressure of the job as, at times, it felt like the whole success of the two departments I monitored rested on my shoulders solely. I was petrified of slipping up and making a silly mistake which would cost the company dearly. I was glad that the company found me a job that corelated seamlessly with the business management nature of my degree.

I felt like the sales assistants who I managed were slightly disrepectful to me. There were quite a few time where I asked them to work overtime and they didn't attend work that day. Also I repeatedly asked them not to slouch at their counters as it looked unprofessional, which they chose to ignore. I think that they felt that because I was only a placement student they didn't have to take me seriously. It's fair to say that I didn't feel valued by these at all.

To be honest, I feel like I was thrown in at the deep end. I was informed of which departments I was to monitor, and introduced to the staff in these departments, then left to my own devices. I think that the management felt that the best way for me to learn would be by working things out myself rather than be force-fed and strictly taught what to do. I think the management's lack of support and guidance really hindered my enjoyment of the whole placement.

I worked a 9-5.30 day and was constantly working. There was so much to get through that if I'd slacked at any time, I wouldn't have finished my work. If there wasn't any paperwork to contend with, I was expected to go onto the shop floor and monitor the sales assistants. There was always something to do.

I was given too much responsiblity, I feel. I was basically running two whole departments of a multi-million pound retail outlet. Bearing in mind that I had no previous business management experience, other than what I'd been taught in my education, I found the responsibility brought a lot of pressure.

My experiences while monitoring the departments definitely aided my degree. My knowledge of business management increased tenfold and this gave me the confidence to express my opinions in my university seminars which, in turn, helped me learn better. I finished my degree this May and I think that my time at Boundary Mill will look impressive on my CV to potential future employers.

There was so much work to do that there was very little time for socialising. As such, there was a poor atmosphere in the office. It was a little more lively on the shop floor, but the sales assistants negative attitude towards me meant that I didn't enjoy it on the shop floor either.

The placement was set up quite poorly. I applied to work there over two months before I heard back from the company. And then when I did hear back there was numerous different stages to go through before even the final interview. On a positive note, the company allowed you to dine without charge in their staff canteen during all these stages.

Basically no training was given to me while I worked there. At times I felt completely out of my depth and was terrified of making any costly mistakes. If I'd even been given any basic training, I feel that I could have worked to a more impressive standard.

I don't think the company were too impressed with my work, so there's very little chance of me ever getting a job at Boundary Mill. Which is a shame as I think that after my placement year and the rapid development I had in my final year at university that I could now do a pretty decent job for them. In a way, I 'd like to return there in future so I could set the record straight and show the managers that I'm not incompetent at business management.

The sales assistants were all very close and seemed to do lots of social activities together. So did quite a few of the administrators, particularly those that joined at the same time a few years before my placement year. However, during the working hours I was too consumed in my work to socialise and after work I was very quick to go home as I was usually quite distressed from the events of the day. There was a good social scene, but I wasn't involved in it.

Colne is a very cheap and cost-efficient town. It's just a shame that there's not much to do there, if you want to have any fun you have to take a bus to Blackburn which is pretty costly. One good aspect of Colne is the number of supermarkets in the town. There is at least four, including Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. This makes shopping very easy as wherever you live in the town you're bound to be within walking distance of a supermarket.

A couple of run-down pubs is pretty much all Colne has to offer. If you want a good night out you have to travel to Blackburn, again. There are a lot of teen gangs in the town as well that patrol the streets, so it's usually advisable not to leave your house at night.

For many employees there were numerous activities which they were invited to, however I was not welcome to these. On a Monday morning many of my colleagues would discuss what they had done with each other the previous weekend, so there were definitely opportunities for certain workers to get involved in activities outside of work.