After successfully securing a placement here at ProspectSoft as a Marketing Assistant, I have already experienced a vast array of new opportunities during the first few weeks. The transition from university to finally putting my business knowledge into practice is something that is completely new to me; however, I can already foresee this being an exciting experience!

The initial process of my application was fairly challenging, especially in conjunction with completing University work; however, I believe doing a placement will inevitably play a vital role in preparing me for the future and also for my final year of studies. I was instantly drawn to applying to ProspectSoft due to the amount of effort they invest in their placement scheme and also the benefits that derive from working for an SME. One key element of my experience so far has been the extensive training that has prepared me for the upcoming year, rather than being thrown into the deep end. Being taught about every department of the business has established a holistic knowledge-base, rather than just specifically focusing on my job role, which has allowed me to interact with all employees working for the company. Ranging from informative talks to demonstrating how to use the software ourselves, the training has helped greatly with the progression of my placement. 

As I have been assigned to various roles and tasks, this has given me a great deal of responsibility that I didn’t think I would have been able to experience as a placement student. Within my Marketing role, I predominantly focus on the writing and organisational aspect of it. For example, I have written up applications for awards, created corporate articles and even delved into the design side of Marketing. However, my main responsibility so far has been the management of all social media platforms that ProspectSoft uses to interact with customers. I have organised and created each social media post, whilst scheduling them out to reach our target audience. Controlling both Corporate and Placement social media, I am able to use different writing styles and languages, whilst also making it quirky and fun!

I am particularly looking forward to my greatest task yet, which is organising the whole recruitment process for the new intake of placements! This process requires a great deal of time and planning but will indefinitely allow me to utilise a wide variety of skills and adopt further ones to aid in my future career. It will be interesting to experience the recruitment process from the perspective of the employer, as I will be screening CVs, conducting telephone interviews and organising the Assessment Centre, luckily with the help of the Head of Marketing, Jess!

The social aspect at ProspectSoft has been amazing so far as everyone works in a closely-knit team. Working in the Marketing department has also provided opportunities to attend events throughout the year, whether they are associated with an awards evening or visiting an informative event that would benefit the company. 

Gaining a placement is something which I could not recommend more to university students, despite only working for a few weeks, I have gained invaluable experiences and been offered opportunities that I would not have been exposed to at University. Also, gaining a real-life aspect of the degree I am studying puts everything I have learnt into perspective to prepare me for the future of working in a business environment!