Marketing, Events & PR Executive Review

I thoroughly enjoyed working in London and found it to be a true reflection of working life. My placement provided me with challenges that I had not faced before and therefore encouraged me to overcome these and develop as an individual.

During my placement, my contributions played a part in assisting my colleagues on various projects and helped to improve efficacy in their roles and departments. Furthermore, I was always thanked for my assistance and made to feel appreciated in the work place.

My manager was aware of my progress and regularly guided me through my tasks and projects while keeping me informed with the organisations business developments. I also had quarterly meetings to assess targets and progress, in addition to my mid year review provided by my university.

Initially I was less occupied, but as my skill set and understanding grew I was assigned more tasks and responsibilities by the third month. From this point, I was aware of my daily routine and could allocate myself tasks to complete within the week. The nature of my role did however mean that my workload would vary at different times of the year.

My responsibilities varied throughout my role, increasing significantly in the second part of the year. Despite the lengthy period to gain these responsibilities, I was able to be involved in a variety of projects. For example: • Creating and managing CRM campaigns B2B & B2C • Maintain marketing collateral and new opportunities • Organise and prepare for events • Uploading content to the website • Maintain and generate content for social media • Produce UK content for internal & external newsletters

I was able to apply my existing knowledge and gain new skills from various software, as well as assisting in other departments such as tech and retail and working with an outsourced PR team. I have specifically gained practice working in a professional environment with the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life. My experience has particularly assisted me in my final year studies and has been highly useful when applying marketing theory to a real life example. I have developed an impressive skill set to display on my CV, many of which will be applicable to future roles that are not restricted to marketing alone. It has also provided me a clearer direction for my future desired role.

Small and relatively informal, but well integrated and friendly - often endless supplies of treats.

I think this was one area for improvement, despite being experienced at running placement schemes; they were less prepared for my arrival, perhaps due to the internal changes within the organisation at the time. I was also the only placement student employed at the time, compared to their previous larger intake, this may have also contributed to the reduced coordination of the placement.

There were not any particular training or development schemes, however I was encouraged to become familiar with all areas of the business other than my own and invited to attend any additional events or meetings that may be of use to me or add value to my experience. The organisation made sure that they provided me with as many opportunities as possible for my personal development.

There was not a position available once I left or a grad scheme available and due to the frequent restructuring of the organisation, there would be no certainty towards the availability of future roles. However, I was told I would be welcome to return to company should there be suitable position available.

Unfortunately, I was the only placement student employed during my time and therefore missed any interaction with employees of a similar age which would have added to the experience. Nevertheless I was encouraged to attend all social events and go for drinks after work to socialise, which became a regular occurrence. The office was very social and many employees enjoyed going out at least once a week.

Conveniently I lived at home in South London and student subsidised travel meant that my costs remained relatively low. Although, the costs of going out in London are significantly higher than in student towns, it was never a problem as I was saving on my travel and the organisation was exceptionally generous whenever we did go out, as were all employees.

Working in central London meant the night life was always good, especially on Thursdays and during the summer when bars and pubs were always busy. The office is in fact positioned in one the most ideal locations, making anywhere in London easily accessible. There is a wide variety of choice and generally a good atmosphere anywhere you go. Working in London meant I could often meet friends for drinks who were also on placement and working nearby.

Every month the organisation would hold social events to encourage communication through all departments and add a fun-reward aspect for everyone's efforts. During my placement there were opportunities to attend go-karting, visit London Dungeons and London Zoo, as well as table tennis competitions and sporting events too. Partnerships with clients also meant that employees were invited to attend motor-racing events throughout the year.