Commercial Analyst Review

Overall, I have enjoyed time spent on the placement as it was a good opportunity to get a taste of a real-life work in a corporate environment as well as a chance for professional and personal development. Also, the placement allowed me to get a hands-on experience and insight into various areas of business from the commercial perspective. There was some mismatch between the job role and my interest area, however it was partly remedied due to a flexible management which allowed for participation in cross-functional projects.

Most of the time, I did feel valued by my colleagues and management.

I have received all necessary training and support needed to perform my work duties as well as related to specific projects. For instance during market research project, the team members were willing to share their expertise and advice as well as provide constructive feedback, explaining various techniques of market analysis and data collection. Frequent follow up meetings were also a good indication of this support.

The levels of 'busy' varied from day to day and the workload could sometimes change rapidly due to customer or management enquiries. My advice would be to always allow some room for the unexpected ad hocs when planning your daily activities. At times when working on a project, some other urgent task comes along and this may result in delay in delivery. Overall, I was kept fairly busy.

I was given a moderate level of responsibility during the placement, including being in charge of certain critical pieces of information.

Due to the mismatch between the job role [sales] and the degree [economics], the extend to which the placement assists me in the studies was limited. However, due to the cross functional work as well as the challenging situation within our sales area and the frequent discussions about this among management, I was able to get a very valuable insight on how economic conditions affect a business. Also, knowledge gained in my degree allowed me to have a good background in the cross fuctional projects.

Supportive and easy going.

The employer seemed very experienced when it comes to hiring placement students. I was impressed by the placement plan which was very organised and developed, including quarterly reviews as well as four day-long training sessions designed specifically for students. This to me is a good sign that the employer cares about the development and retainment of their employees. Also, my university demonstrated interest in the well-being and development by allowing for two on-site visits of an assigned placemment tutor. There is also an extensive array of on-line training courses which you can complete in your own time either at home or whilst at work.

The extend of investment was lmited, which in understandable given the temporary nature of the placement employment. Apart from the four training sessions, I also participated in role-related training but I feel it could be more.

I feel that the size and reach of the company open many doors for their employees who are - if they want to - able to work cross functionally and within different locations. Also, if they express a desire to get into a certain position, they are shown the steps they need to take this in order to accomplish this. The placement has allowed me to see what I enjoy most and I am likely to pursue that role in the future after graduation.

Due to the location of the placement, I think good, tight-knit social circle has been beneficial for the placements as they tended to stick together. Also existing regular employees were open to socialise beyond work.The company itself had given plenty of opportunities to mingle and network through various on-site events and trips.

Great! Plus, you can manage to save a lot if you're wise enough with your spending.

The location was mostly rural and quiet and the options were extremely limited. You need to go outside town to actually have a nightlife.

Yes. Beyond the social opportunities, my employes is heavily involved in corporate responsibility which allows you to volunteer in the causes of your choice or even lead your own projects. It is a great way to enhance your time management and leadership skills as well as network and liaise with organisations/people outside of work. I also liked the 'Meet the Leader' sessions organised on-site where top managers were able to tell us their career paths, reflect on their own path and offer advice, which was also a good way to get to knom them on a personal level.