This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I really enjoyed the placement year and got a lot out of my time with M&S. I was given some fantastic opportunities, lots of variety, and real responsibility right from the start. It was a challenging year but great from a self-development point of view,
I felt very much part of the team. I met some lovely people throughout my different attachments who I will continue to stay in contact with. It is a friendly organisation and people were generally quite supportive and would make time for you.
I was given a lot of support throughout my placement, and offered guidance from my manager and my colleagues. I had regular reviews/feedback and catch-ups with my manager. The buddy/mentor role at M&S is great and I really appreciated this aspect.
I always felt busy while at M&S with plenty to do - you are given a lot of responsibility in your role and also additional projects or tasks to get involved in e.g. Graduate Research Projects. It is a fast paced environment and the workload is quite high, but equally lots of interesting opportunities to pursue. You are really responsible for driving your own development and seeking opportunities.
I was given a great deal of responsibility right from the outset of my placement. I didn't feel like I was treated like a 'trainee', and I had more accountability than I anticipated a placement student would be given. This said, support was there if requested, and training workshops were provided for certain aspects of the job.
The placement year was invaluable, and I have gained so much personally and professionally from the year. I have developed in confidence hugely, and enhanced my existing skill-set particularly in communication, decision making, project management and team-working. My CV is much stronger and the skills will be transferable to my future career. I will be able to use practical examples from my industry experience when back at University, helping to bring the theory to life.
The Company
I did 4 different roles so the atmosphere varied with each. However the culture in M&S is great and everyone is really nice and supportive. It did feel like a team atmosphere.
The placement was very well structured with 4 separate attachments - this was great as you got to experience different parts of the business and meet new people. You were given 'attachment guides' and had contact with the relevant person for each new role prior to starting, as well as a comprehensive review at the end of each. You maintained the same overall line manager throughout the programme for consistency, but had different attachment managers. For one of my attachments I did not know where I would be based until a few days before, but there were business reasons for this.
I felt M&S invested heavily in my development. I was provided with a range of core graduate/bpp workshops, role specific training (day events, on the job training and up-skilling conference calls), and was given the opportunity for external development e.g. attending an ET, Eversheds breakfast briefing. I also felt people gave a lot of time in supporting you on a day-to-day basis if you had queries.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
Company Car
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
International Travel
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Above 25 days holiday
Working from home
Healthcare from home
Healthcare/Dental
Travel loan
I am hoping there will be future opportunities to join the graduate scheme - I will be informed of vacancies later in the year.
The Culture
I made some great friends with fellow graduates/placement students during each attachment. I was especially lucky to have another HR grad working on the same region as me so we spent a lot of time together and would socialise outside of work. I would go out for meals/drinks with colleagues. I will keep in contact with many of my colleagues.
I relocated to central Manchester for my placement year so could not live at home with parents - this meant that I had to pay for rent, travel and living expenses. The cost of socialising was quite high as it was in the city centre, but the atmosphere was great and there was so much to do.
Manchester is a great city and I thoroughly enjoyed my year there.
There were opportunities to socialise and get involved in different things.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
North West
September 2014