Ben Challis' Project management placement at CooperVision

A placement year in Project management? I know this isn't for everyone and it is not the status quo but my placement year in project management has been an exceptional experience which I would highly recommend to anyone looking to become a project manager or develop their organisation and time management skills. 

After having my interest in project management sparked during modules in second year, I decided this was an area that, although I was initially unfamiliar with, I wanted to explore further. Fast forward almost two year and I have just completed my Global commercial PMO (Project Management Office) placement year at CooperVision. So let me take you through what this role involves: 

Managing project 

Yes, it doesn't take a genius to work out a placement in project management involves... Managing projects but what does this actually mean? 

 During my year I worked on a variety of projects with varying scale and scope, but all involved the implementation of IT systems to help our seller become more effective at selling contact lenses. Working on multiple different projects enabled me to experience every stage of the project Lifecyle and how each project manager is flexible to make adjustment in order to remain within the budget and time restraints. 

Working in a global team 

Due to the global nature of CooperVision this placement provided me with the opportunity to work with colleagues from every corner of the world. This enlightened me to different ways of working and best practise I would have otherwise never thought of. I have made connects across the globe and look forward to seeing where these may take me in the future. 

 Other areas of involvement 

Although my primary role was as a project manager an area CooperVision excel at is getting their interns involved in all areas of the business. 

For me this included: 

• Getting involved with the Pride ERG (Employee resource group) - A highlight being marching at Southampton pride. 

• Taking part in an intern project where we conducted a full review of the current fertility treatment policy.

 • An active involvement in the organisation and planning of team building days. 

• Organisation of charity week where our team ran carnival style games. 

As I hope I have been able to get across I believe a placement year in project management is an excellent option which can lead to a fulfilling career. I also cannot speak more highly of my experience working at CooperVision so even if project management isn't for you each year CooperVision hire lots of interns in all different areas of the business their options are worth exploring. 

 If anyone reading this has any questions about CooperVision or placement years in project management, please feel free to connect and message me on LinkedIn and I would be more than happy to help.

Inspiring videos from former YIB students

 We are delighted that 2 of our recent YIB students have shared videos talking about their placement experience. These are inspiring for younger year students who are setting out on their journey to secure a prize placement position.

Maria Micu has just graduated from Royal Holloway with a degree in BSc Management with Human Resources and since Graduation has started in HR with the firm Interpath Advisory. During her time at Royal Holloway Maria undertook a placement year in the Recruitment sector with Hays. Maria has been a very active supporter of Year in Business, as a Student Ambassador at Open Days and Applicant visit Days and as a YIB Mentor supporting 2nd years seeking their own placement positions.

In the video Maria talks about the role she undertook on placement at Hays working with the financial markets department and the fact that she was taken seriously, given responsibility and appreciated for what she accomplished. She talks of the support available to students from Royal Holloway's business department when they are seeking their placement and when out on placement. Listen to more of what Maria says about her placement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzTt_PWw-dY

Madeleine Stonehouse is studying BSc Management with Marketing at Royal Holloway and undertook a marketing placement year at Ecovis. As a marketing assistant she has developed her skills in content creation, social media marketing and website optimisation, building on the skills she had learnt as part of her university degree through practical experience in the workplace.

Maddy talks about one benefit of working in a smaller company being that she gets to regularly talk to members of the entire firm, everyone from Partners to Managers to Associates and to other members of the business support team meaning that every day is different.  Listen more to what Maddy says about her placement: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7227251827266719746

For more video profiles of our Year in Business students have a look at our Year in Business blog: 

https://yibprofile.blogspot.com/

Graduation 2024 - Royal Holloway Year in Business students

It was a pleasure to support the Graduation Ceremonies for the Business and Management students on Tuesday 23^rd July and to speak to Year in Business students about their experiences at University and plans for the future. The Graduation ceremony took place within a magnificent graduation marquee on the lawns of Royal Holloway overlooking the iconic Founder’s Building. A long line of Year in Business students processed in front of The Provost and Pro Vice Chancellor, Dean of the School of Business, Academic staff, friends and family to collect their certificates and then listen to a number of speeches including that by the Student Orator. This year YIB Harrison Clinton delivered an inspiring speech, drawn on his own experience at University and during his placement year.

Special mention to Year in Business student Tanya Steward has just been awarded two prizes at Graduation : the prestigious Martin Holloway prize and the award for best overall Management student at Royal Holloway. Tanya completed a very successful placement year within the Licencing department of The Walt Disney Company in 2022/23. In her final year she has been a YIB Mentor and continued working part time with The Walt Disney Company and has recently taken up a full time role with the company.

Matthew Lappin received an award for the best finalist in Accounting and Finance. Matthew completed a successful placement at RSM and will be returning to the company as a Graduate in the Autumn

We are so proud of the Year in Business Graduates and all they have achieved during the last 4 years. It can be very challenging for students to secure a placement and they have to show true resilience during the application process. Being out on placement can also throw up challenges for some and we are pleased to be able to offer support when required. We are delighted that many YIBs in their final year return and undertake roles as YIB Mentors and get involved in our workshops/ events to helpt and inspire the younger year students applying for their own placements. 

Looking to the future, some Graduates are undertaking further study while others are returning to the companies where they undertook their placement year. These companies include Generation Media, Menzies LLP, PwC, RSM and The Walt Disney Co. A number of other YIBs have used their placement experience to help them secure graduate roles with different companies including Alvarez & Marsal, Aston Martin, Azets, Data Select, Dyanmo, Enzo Tech, Forest Group, ING ARENA, Interpath Advisory, RSM, and Softcat.

Congratulations to all and I am sorry if I was not able to catch up with you individually after the Ceremony.  Do keep in touch with us in the Year in Business team – your stories of where your placements have led you are inspiring to the younger year YIBs!

Management Undergraduate of the Year Award 2024: Kendaa Cameron-Chavannes

This is a guest post from Royal Holloway Management Year in Business student, Kendaa Cameron- Chavannes who has just won the finals of the Target Jobs Management Undergraduate of the Year Award sponsored by Enterprise Mobility. At Royal Holloway we are so proud of Kendaa and what she has achieved. While former Royal Holloway placement students have reached the finals, none have as yet won overall. This is an incredible achievement for Kendaa and we are grateful for her for writing this blog article about her experience. 

Kendaa has grasped every opportunity available to build her experience while at University, whether attending company insight weeks, Bright Network events, joining Mentoring schemes or applying for placements. Kendaa will be joining the Walt Disney company for a marketing placement this summer. We believe her win of the Management Undergraduate of the Year Award is thoroughly deserved!

Kendaa writes:

 After a competitive series of psychometric tests, interviews and assessment centres, being selected out of 5206 applicants, arriving at The Pelligon (Canary Wharf) for the final was a surreal moment filled with anxiety but excitement. It was great to meet all the other finalists from the 12 award categories (especially fellow Royal Holloway undergraduate Tala Clark), network with industry specialists and gain insight into the motivations of the other finalists. 

 I was promptly met with a champagne/prosecco reception where I was able to catch-up with my peers from my Enterprise assessment centre, gain an understanding of the application processes for other award partners (such as Rolls Royce, Sky Scanner, CBRE, Sky, BNY Mellon etc) and soak in the atmosphere. It was so rewarding being surrounded by 120 of the UK’s most inspiring undergraduates. 

After the drink’s reception, it was time for lunch, where we had a set menu of starters, mains and desserts. I had the fantastic opportunity to be sat with many senior partners of Enterprise and gain independent insights into the facets of a global firm. The transition from limited industry experience (at the end of first year) to being a finalist (in my second year), sat with executives, senior managers and directors was a key reflection throughout the duration of the awards. 

 Shortly after dessert, the awards began, and my nerves were at an all time high. It was phenomenal seeing all the other finalists presented on the big screen and receiving recognition for their hard work. After the Female Undergraduate of the Year was awarded, it was time for the Management Undergraduate of the Year to be introduced by Sue Perkins. Caroline Howarth (Enterprise’s Corporate Business Manager and Finance Director) announced the shortlist and the winner. After being announced winner and seeing my name up on the screen, I was in complete shock. Realising that I had to move from my seat, I quickly made my way up to the stage to collect the award. 

 I am truly honoured to be selected as this year’s Management Undergraduate of the Year and represent the School of Business at Royal Holloway- who have shown the upmost support at every step of the way. 

Post awards, Rolls Royce, Sky Scanner and Enterprise hosted a celebration at The Alchemist which was filled with laughter. 

 Even though the win has only just sunk in, I am so grateful to showcase my skills, network with experienced specialists and be surrounded by inspiring peers. I would highly recommend my peers to apply next year because you never know where challenging yourself outside of your comfort scope leads to.

Fenella's HR placement at ADP

This is a guest post from Royal Holloway student Fenella Jones on the BSc Management with Human Resources pathway, who is currently undertaking an HR placement at ADP.  Staines upon Thames - based ADP is a global company which offers industry-leading online payroll services & HR software and solutions tailored to individual clients that they work with. It is so pleasing to hear how much Fenella is benefitting from her placement year experience.

"Taking the role of HR Intern at ADP has been the best decision I have made as part of my University degree yet. 

 It was quite daunting at first, starting a placement at a global company. But I quickly became settled in all thanks to the amazing team I work with. They have always been happy to answer any of my questions or run me through a process. 

 I have been able to experience all avenues of HR as well as other areas of the business through my role. The role can be so vast, but also has core tasks that are carried out regularly. 

 I've been able to work on multiple projects focusing on various areas of HR and working with different people from the team or independently. For example, I updated our Welcome Centre which provides new starters with useful information before joining, such as, details about their office location, a first day checklist, a UK benefits overview and more. It really motivates me to know my work is contributing to the business and associates' experience.

 I am also responsible for certain admin tasks, such as responding to reference requests, writing and issuing various letters, checking car allowance documents etc. 

 My role has also covered data analysis, system testing and some Excel work. But don't panic, I am no excel expert myself and there is always someone to help!

 As for the office environment, I never knew I could enjoy office life so much. There's often a fun activity taking place in the office you can take part in. Over the past 7 months I've attended a Bingo session at the office (and won 😊), enjoyed pancakes on Pancake Day, organised and attended the Global HR Summit for the Staines team and more. 

 I've really enjoyed the past 7 months with ADP and have learnt so much not only about HR but also about myself. I cannot recommend this placement, the company and team enough. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about the role, company, or placement life so feel free to get in contact 🙂."

HR talent intern placement at JDE

This is a guest post from Royal Holloway student, Ellie Graziano who is on the BSc Management with Human Resources (with a Year in Business ) pathway. Ellie is currently undertaking an HR talent placement year at JDE, the company famous for coffee brands such as Kenco, L'OR, Tassimo and Douwe Egberts. Currently 8 months into her placement year, Ellie shares an update of what her role has entailed so far.

I had planned on doing a 6 month, halfway there post but I blinked and here we are, nearly 8 months down the line as HR Talent intern at JDE and what an 8 months it’s been. From joining the company in the midst of the Kenco Centenary celebrations and being lucky enough to attend Barcode Festival 2 weeks in (where several FMCG companies support Grocery Aid by showcasing their products and services). A very warm summers day in London, walking around different stalls, being handed freebees left right and centre (I came home with about 4/5 tote bags FULL😂) and ending the day with front row seats to Sam Ryder (I literally couldn’t believe it).

Fast forward a couple of months and I’ve built so much confidence in myself. Screening candidates, arranging 2nd stage interviews, making offers, and then seeing those candidates around the office knowing I had been a huge part of their JDE recruitment process. I was also lucky enough to help organise and then attend our job fair at Banbury last week which was an excellent networking opportunity that gave me some insight into how much planning goes into events like this. 

As well as the day-to-day recruitment for both Banbury and Maidenhead sites, I have also had sole responsibility of the intern recruitment for next year (a weird once considering I started looking for our ‘replacements’ within 2 months of being in the role myself😂). Between arranging briefing calls with hiring managers, working alongside Sanctuary Graduates, running ‘get to know JDE’ sessions for candidates, inviting them to interview and running assessment centres, it’s been full on but I’m glad to say that the end is within reach! With just a couple of roles left to hire for, I can start looking ahead at planning the first few weeks for our new interns and ensuring that they have an enjoyable onboarding experience.

Alongside all this, I have also been lucky enough to be part of student charity, something that I am glad JDE allow us to do. We started the 1st half of the year raising money for Alzheimer’s Society with endless bake sales and activities in Banbury and more recently, our sparkly new Maidenhead office and now have started the 2nd half of our year fundraising for Grocery Aid – with our first (Valentines’) fundraiser just around the corner!

Its safe to say it’s been an incredible first half (and some) of the placement and I can’t wait to see what the next few months have in store. 

Speed Recruitment event - Royal Holloway Year in Business programme

Last week a number of companies joined our Speed Recruitment event in the Business school at Royal Holloway. I would like to express a huge thank you to the representatives from ACF Technologies, Barons Pub Company, ECOVIS Wingrave Yeats, Enterprise Mobility, Hays, Liberty Global, Menzies LLP, Moore Kingston Smith, NHS, RSM, Simmons & Simmons, Teachitright, Virgin Media O2, Wiser Academy, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, for taking the time to speak to our students about the placement opportunities available at their companies. 

The Executive Dean of the School, Professor Christos Tsinopoulos introduced the evening and chatted to students and employers alike. There was a real buzz in the Moore building throughout the evening.

Students had the opportunity to move around company stands (ideally when the bell rang) and talk to different companies about the range of placements available and see if there was a suitable match. Students heard about a range of positions including Accountancy/ Finance, Business support, Management trainee, Marketing, Recruitment, Sales.

It was good to see the 2^nd year students' enthusiasm to secure a placement and the companies gave positive feedback about the students’ engagement levels and the quality of the questions asked

It was particularly pleasing to see Lily Burke and Priyanka Visana who completed successful placements with Enterprise Mobility last year, join Paul Hanrahan, the Talent Acquisition manager, to talk about the openings at Enterprise. Finalist Matthew Lappin, who completed a tax placement at RSM and will join the company on Graduation joined the RSM table. Current students, Madeleine Stonehouse (marketing placement at Ecovis), Sofiia Tregub (Learning & Development placement at Wyndham hotels) and Dillon McEvilly (HR placement at NHS) joined their managers to talk about their placement experiences and openings in the year ahead. Damini Naguindra, on placement at BMW and Louella Cook, on placement at Commscope, spoke about their experiences. A massive thank you also to final year YIBs Maria, Azhar, Aman and Hannah for taking time out to inspire the younger year YIBs.

The evening concluded with pizza and more conversation. In previous years, a number of our students went onto secure placements on the back of attending similar events. We look forward to hearing how they get on this year!     

If any other companies are interested in advertising placements to our business students please contact MN-YIB@rhul.ac.uk. Students undertake paid placements of between 9 – 12 months and are available to start work anytime between June – September. There is more information about our programme on our website: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and-teaching/departments-and-schools/business-and-management/your-future-career/placements/