Purchasing Review

I have enjoyed my time at Cummins for several reasons: Your colleagues make you feel very welcome and are fun to be around. Cross functional knowledge is developed as all departments have involvement with each other, as a purchasing placement my experiences are not solely related to this element of business.

I think the one outstanding element for me is the elimination of the title 'placement' from day 1. By that I mean you are treat as an employee and no different from anyone else; you are faced with challenges, given responsibility and have high expectations set of you creating a platform to develop significantly throughout the year.

As much as you need really. There is always somebody to go too should you require help whether that be your manager or elsewhere in the business. In terms of my relationship with my manager we have weekly meetings to review progress, discuss any issues and discuss plans for the upcoming weeks. These meetings are informal and very open giving you the opportunity to express any concerns. I also sit next to my manager so any day to day problems or quick questions can be answered immediately.

My workload has been managed well I feel - in the initial 3-4 months there were times when you were twiddling your thumbs but this is to give you time to find your feet which is much needed as there is a lot to learn before you are settled into your role. Some days are really busy but your manager will be well aware of the work you are doing and hence you will never feel too swamped by your workload. Having said that you will feel stressed at times, which, on reflection adds to the experience.

As mentioned earlier from day one you are treat as an employee and not a 'placement.' Expectations are high from us and we are granted every opportunity to show our worth. I have had the opportunity to lead projects which have exposure to the wider business enhancing the pressure to deliver.

University - Being on placement certainly enhances your time management. I now feel that when I go back to uni I am in a better place to succeed due to the hours I will be willing to commit completing my work. On top of this you are likely to be more focused and have an idea as to what element of work you wish to go into.

With it being a manufacturing company there is a good mix of people - you have shop floor workers and office staff. You are free to talk at any time as the atmosphere is always steady, very rarely will you find it silent.

Cummins has been involved in the placement program for several years and it continues to expand. Each department which takes on a placement will have a specific job role in mind for you. This means you will not be working on odd jobs and there will be a clear purpose to your work.

There is a heavy investment into placement students at Cummins as they are keen to bring back their successful placements on a graduate role which is another bonus to working here. Training is provided to placements to help improve core skills which will be used throughout your career.

Working for Cummins as a placement gives you a good opportunity to come back as a graduate should you tick all the right boxes within your year here. It is always good to have an offer to come back to a company going back to University especially one as large and successful as Cummins.

There are about 15 placement/graduates in Stamford and roughly 20 in Peterborough where social events are arranged. My intake do not mingle as much as previous year groups but we still play football together and go for drinks.

Stamford is typically relatively expensive in terms of rent although the wage Cummins offer is very high in comparison to other placement roles! Food/Socialising is your standard price.

Stamford is a relatively small town and is a very nice place to live. There are many pubs in Stamford and one club. It depends what you are used to and what you enjoy.

yes, there are many sports clubs which you can join.. football, badminton etc. You can also get involved in affinity groups should you not be interested in sports.