How have you seen your role develop since you first started?
During the first couple of weeks of my placement, I largely spent time shadowing my line manager to immerse me in the business, in order to contextualise myself with the way in which the business operates, the key workstreams, customer groups and the culture of the business, alongside being introduced to some key contacts. Since starting, I have seen my role develop in terms of responsibility, autonomy and the level of independence and trust put into me by my team. Initially, I received a lot of guidance and support to check that everything was going okay, whereas nine months in, I am instead receiving advice where needed, due to my development in the role. Now, I feel able to perform in my role off my own initiative, with support there as and when required from the relevant people, having built relationships with various stakeholders in the business.
How would you describe a typical working day?
Every day is different for me. Some days I will be working in the office, some meeting colleagues at our different sites, and some a combination of both! The office is a relaxed environment with hot-desking facilities, so you can work alongside a different team member each day. The OneHR collaboration space is an easy casual meeting area, to take discussions away from the desks, helping to break up the day which keeps everyone active and engaged. I undertake a variety of tasks throughout the week, making my role very diverse, including desk-based tasks and working with my customer groups, Global Corporate Functions, alongside my team.
What was a project you were proud to be part of?
I worked on a project to create excellence awards for one of the corporate functions. I was proud to be part of this project because I knew it was to make a difference to individuals within the function, and ensure they are recognised for their positive behaviours in the workplace. As part of this, I developed the awards alongside employees from the function, and communicated with the leadership team and key stakeholders to gain support and momentum ready for the awards to be implemented in the coming months.
What’s the best thing about being part of the Undergraduate Programme?
The best things about my experience on the Undergraduate Programme at Jaguar Land Rover is the exposure to real business problems. It has given me an insight into the diverse activities undertaken by the function for an international business. This opportunity has exceeded my expectations in terms of the autonomy and responsibility placed upon me, but also the support network available to deal with any challenges. The most significant difference, was that I expected an extremely corporate environment, when in fact everyone is welcoming and it is a great environment to work in.
