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 thoroughly enjoyed my placement year! So much so, I am returning as a graduate next September.
Everyone at M&S treats you with respect and makes you feel welcome from the 1st day you start your placement. Your are treated as a member of the Commercial Management team, and are given full exposure to their roles and responsibilities.
You are given a 'Buddy' Commercial Manager who helps form and guide your training programme. You have daily contact with them and open feedback is given. You also have a monthly development meeting with your store manager to discuss your progress and any support you may feel necessary.
Very busy! No day is the same, and there is always something to be getting on with!
If you demonstrate capability to do so, you will be given plenty of responsibility. Personally, I cmpleted 2 Commercial Manager holiday reliefs in different stores, ran a charity campaign within the store and also launched the new technology, logistics system in the store.
Throughout your placement, you complete 12 corporate courses, with fellow placement students, in the M&S training academy. These include, Performance Management and Leadership.
The Company
It was a very friendly office, where comments and opinions were always welcomed.
Extremely well organised, you follow a 12 month plan, covering 3 distinct areas. Your line manager will normally have planned your 12 months for you, for you to follow.
They invested a huge amount of time and resource into your learning and development. You have monthly meetings with your store manager reviewing your development and you are encouraged to complete your ‘sign off’ throughout your placement.
Extremely, which is why I am going back after uni.
The Culture
there was a good social scene, all placement students within the region (15 on average) meet each other within the 1st month. There are group monthly development meetings and all corporate training courses are with yours peers.
I lived at home during my placement year, so I knew where was cheap!
Again I lived at home, so I was familiar with where to go out.
As above.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Business Operations, Business Management, Customer Service, Fashion Design, Financial Management, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal/Law, Logistics and Operations, Purchasing and Supply, Retail, Sales
London
November 2010