Finance Placement Student Review

I really did enjoy my time at TGB. The relaxed atmosphere around the office made it an easy place to learn and develop. There was also a strong social scene in and around the business which allowed to meet new people all the time.

I also felt like everyone was there to help and offer advise whenever I needed it. I could always ask questions and when I had started to grasp the role, people would come to me for help which made me feel valued.

Everyone from around the business were always willing to help and offer advice, regardless of what it was about. Everyone within the finance department were always willing to give support and direct to the answer you required, rather just doing something for you. There was always a framework to learn and develop, which allowed me to get my head around what I was doing quicker than if something was just done for me.

Working in finance is often quite structured as you always know you will be busier at the start of the month. Depending on the time of year, there were various levels of workload, but this allowed you to develop your time management skills.

I was given responsibility at TGB from the start, every job you do should add value and if it doesn't, it should be removed from the process. I was surprised at the level of responsibility given to me, but enjoyed it at the same time.

There were many skills I developed and learnt whilst being at TGB. From learning the Toyota way to going on various Excel courses, everything I have learnt on my placement I will be able to transfer and take forward into my next job.

The atmosphere in and around the office was friendly and sociable. There were many events put on over the year to help engage the staff and there were also many social events outside of work to get involved in. The office in general was a relaxed place to work.

I felt the placement scheme was organised very well. There were many induction sessions to help you to settle in and learn what was expected of you and also to help you learn about Toyota as a company. In terms of my development, I had objectives set for me which I worked towards over the year, this was reviewed throughout the year to track my progress which would help me to stay focused on how I was going to develop.

I attended several training courses over the year to help me to develop. It was easy to book onto a course soon after a weakness had been uncovered. For example, when I learnt that my excel skills needed to be developed further, I could easily book my self onto an intermediate and advanced Excel course to help improve my skills. There was also a personal development tool which we had training on how to use effectively and were encouraged to use regularly.

There is a graduate scheme at Toyota from which only placement students can apply for. This looks like a very well run graduate scheme that will support you but I am looking for a role in Finance from the start and I don't feel this scheme will benefit me.

There was a good social scene amongst fellow students and colleagues. The students would have lunch together most days and would meet up when possible outside of work. There was also a sports and social club which held many events throughout the year which allowed to get to know more people from around the business. Over the year I played indoor football with people from work and also played for the Toyota Cricket team which was good fun.

I didn't find the cost of living that much more expensive, but on the whole most things were more expensive especially as I'm from the north. I joined a Tennis club which wasn't too much more than what I would expect from my club at home. The only thing I noticed that was considerably more expensive than what I was used to, was the price of drinks on a night out.

Epsom is quite a small town so the options were fairly limited. There are a few bars and two nightclubs, but being from Liverpool I am used to a fairly bigger nightlife. If you were looking for a big night out you would have to go slightly further out than Epsom.

There are many tennis clubs in the area, one of which I joined for the year. There were also many other sports clubs in the local area, There are also the general activities like the cinema and London is only 30 mins away by train.