Technology Industrial Placement Student - Solution & Innovation Architect Review

I really enjoyed my placement year with Fujitsu. I joined as a technology industrial placement student and at the beginning was given the responsibility to project manage an initiative to include mobile apps into the London Innovation Centre. Fujitsu really treats you as a valued member of the team and respect and listen to you as if you are a full-time working member of staff. In essence there are lots of opportunities available, and even more to be created.

The Fujitsu culture is built around trust and respect. I felt extremely valued by others and that gave me the confidence to put forward my opinions during meetings, which were always listened to. I have friends at other large companies on an industrial placement, and the feedback I get from them is that it is very difficult to talk to senior members of staff. This was certainly not the case at Fujitsu. Every one from the president and below is really approachable.

My line manager scheduled weekly 1/2 an hour calls with me to discuss my activities during the week and to offer advice and support with anything that I may need help with. My managers were also very approachable and therefore I felt able to discuss issues that I may be facing in completing the work. This working atmosphere really enabled me to progress and learn very quickly.

The workload really depends on how much more you want to do above and beyond your job role. With my daily duties sometimes I would be really busy or the workload may be a bit thin for that month. However this made no difference for me as Fujitsu is really accepting of new ideas and acknowledges those that go the extra mile. I always had work to do as I created a publication and designed my own mobile app whilst getting involved with fundraising initiatives. The workload really depends on what you make of it.

I was given the perfect balance. Not too much pressure on me to deliver the whole solution as I am after all an Industrial Placement student. But I was given the opportunity to take a lead ownership with the projects I delivered and managed.

I would recommend an industrial placement to anyone, as I have a greater understanding of how processes are run within industry which I would never have got at university. At the beginning of my placement and throughout my managers constantly asked me what responsibilities I would like to take ownership of during my placement year in order to benefit me when I return to university.

The atmosphere is excellent. You are required to be professional as any company expects, however the Fujitsu culture originates from the Japanese family culture. The best way to start a meeting I found was to have a 5 minute friendly conversation. My colleagues were always really friendly and were accommodating if I needed to take time to attend personal issues.

The organisation was very good. I had 3 rotations during my placement each lasting approximately 4 months. My responsibilities were not set in stone at the beginning, but it was flexible so that I could move to a different department if I so wished.

Fujitsu is on the whole fantastic at providing personal training. There is a library of e-courses that I was able to take and I even asked to attend a workshop to learn lean methodology which was granted. As a result I will be able to return to university with bronze accreditation. I was also allowed to pursue self initiated activities to develop my personal development.

On completing the placement you are fast tracked to the graduate assessment centre if you complete the final year of your degree with a minimum of a 2:1

There are lots of events created by the talent management team to socialise and work alongside your industrial placement colleagues. We were given an assignment to compete in groups to raise money for the homeless and housing charity Shelter; whereby in an apprentice like manner we had to swap a paperclip for another item. Which we then had to continually trade until we sold the final item at auction; with a winning team announced at the end. Excellent fun!

I was positioned in the Bracknell office. Bracknell's social life is not great, but Reading is just 10 minutes away. Berkshire is also classed as part of the London area in terms of rental prices. Ordinary in Bracknell/Reading the cheapest you will find a room to rent is £300 a month. The average is about £400 a month

I don't party, but my colleagues all headed to Reading which is ideal. However if you are based in the London office you are in the perfect location.

My colleagues ran the half marathon together. If you make friends within the organisation you can socialise as much as you wish.