My experience as a Business Management student on placement at CrossCountry

I chose my course because it’s an interesting, diverse subject that opens many different career paths. It’s a great course for aspiring managers and leaders in business who want to make a positive impact. Another important reason I chose this degree was because of the placement year it offered, where I could gain valuable work experience that would help prepare me for the working world after graduation. I completed my work placement at  CrossCountry Trains where I was employed as a Stations Team Placement Student. CrossCountry is a well-established train operating company in the UK owned by Arriva UK Trains, operating the CrossCountry franchise. It operates intercity and other long-distance passenger trains across Great Britain. In this blog, I reflect on my placement experience, the skills I developed along the way, and my future aspirations. 

Searching for a placement 

I found out about the placement opportunity at CrossCountry via the University’s placement portal, where the University lists a wide range of exciting placement opportunities for its students. There are placement opportunities in all kinds of companies and organisations across lots of different sectors and industries. After discovering the opportunity at CrossCountry, I was keen to get a real insight into the railway industry. I like CrossCountry as it focused on connecting people across the UK, in an affordable and sustainable way. I wanted to seek an opportunity that allowed me to grow professionally and make a positive impact on the organisation and people, and I feel my role at CrossCountry enabled me to do this. 

Applying for the placement  

I worked closely with Huddersfield Business School’s dedicated employability and placements team to enhance my CV (Curriculum Vitae) and write a tailored cover letter. The placement scheme is highly competitive, and I wanted to make sure I was in the best possible position, so I also received support from the team by completing several mock interviews to gain confidence while also having the chance to reflect on my non-verbal and verbal communication skills, which was extremely helpful. I liked how the interview was a two-way process where I was given the chance to express my interest in the company and learn about the roles and daily duties of the hiring managers. This provided me with useful insight into the company and its culture, which I liked and respected. I had the opportunity to ask lots of questions, which gave me the confidence that this role was really for me. Overall, the interview process was a positive experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.  

My responsibilities 

As part of my varied role, I was responsible for investigating station delays, attributing them, completing station experience audits across the CrossCountry network, investigating and logging station failures in a database, and using train planning diagrams to conduct vehicle counts for stations. I also managed station liaison with other station facility owners to maintain good working relationships, which is crucial for the successful running of the stations. I enjoyed the flexibility I was given while on placement. I could choose which stations to audit and was trusted to manage my time effectively. On placement, I absolutely loved travelling all over the CrossCountry network to complete station audits, which was an exciting element of my role. I also loved the flexibility of completing work on the train when travelling between stations and the central office – which was a bonus!  

Developing my skills and knowledge 

The placement at CrossCountry gave me extensive knowledge about the railway industry and enabled me to learn about my strengths, likes, and dislikes. Being a part of a professional work environment taught me how to communicate, in a professional setting, with senior colleagues and managers, increasing my confidence in my abilities. I also got the chance to gain commercial awareness and network with potential future employers. My placement overall has given me invaluable experience and skills, which I can use to enhance my CV, which will benefit me when I apply for graduate jobs this year.  

Looking ahead  

After graduating, I hope to secure an exciting graduate role and apply the skills I have gained through studying for my degree in Business Management and professional work experience in a new industry. In the long term, I want to gain extensive knowledge about various businesses and continue to gain experience, which will help me land a senior leadership position with a well-reputed organisation that I enjoy. My dream job focuses on making a difference to people, being in a managerial position where I can make decisions that directly affect people positively. 

 To find out more about Business Management, please visit https://www.hud.ac.uk/subjects/management/

 

To contact Huddersfield Business School’s Employability and Placements team, please email businessplacements@hud.ac.uk