Business Development Review

It has been an excellent experience so far, I've been able to work in multiple departments which has enabled me to gain a real insight into different areas of the business. The projects I have been working on make me feel valued as they are very important to the business and I can see how the work I've been doing will impact the business in the future.

Every colleague I've worked with has been very welcoming and friendly. I regularly receive appraisal when I present my work to my colleagues which is also very satisfying,

I always have someone to go to when I need guidance or support for my day-to-day work. I also have regular reviews with the Talent team to see how I am getting on where they will provide further support if you need it. The only reason I haven't given 10* is because I was provided with a mentor at the beginning of the year, I didn't see the usefulness of this as I already felt that I was provided with adequate support.

The work load at work was challenging at times, but always manageable if you managed your time well. It's much better to be busy than to be sat around twiddling you thumbs.

I have worked on numerous different projects throughout the year. The projects were very diverse in size and nature and majority of the projects I worked on meant I was entrusted with a lot of responsibility which motivated me massively.

The nature of this programme means that the skills you acquire wont only assist you in your degree but they will most definitely assist you when you finish university. You obviously improve on your basic fundamental skills such as communication, presenting etc. but more importantly you have the chance to acquire knowledge and skills that university can't teach you, which is why I found the placement so good.

The atmosphere was as I expected working in a corporate environment, the majority of the time the atmosphere within the office was enjoyable however there were times when the office lacked atmosphere and it could become quite dull.

The placement was generally well organised, we had regular reviews/meetings with the talent team to keep everyone up to date about the programme. I moved department quite early into my placement which wasn't originally planned however I very much enjoyed the department I moved into, I just wasn't expecting to be moving so early into my placement.

I feel that being on the placement itself meant that the business had invested in me significantly. The majority of the training and development was on the job and specific to your role within the business. However, the talent team also provided occasional training days and tasks which were aimed at improving our personal development.

I feel that the meetings I had with various members within the business were all positive about future employment. There is a separate graduate scheme provided by the business that is more catered towards the commercial aspect of the company, there are also plans to create a corporate graduate programme which would be more suited to myself.

There was a good element of socialising between fellow placement students whilst at work and we occasionally met up for food/activities outside of work which was nice.

The cost of living and socialising where the placement is based is very similar to the rest of the country, being based near Nottingham makes it easy to commute to anywhere in the country if you plan on going home at weekends and also means that you are close to all the retail/food/activities that are based in the city.

Couldn't comment to be honest.

There are opportunities to get involved in near enough any activity, I'm pretty sure that Nottingham caters for any sports/interests/hobbies that anyone has.