My placement year at Travis Perkins

Last year, I did my placement at Travis Perkins where I was based at their Head Office in Northampton, and latterly their Primary Distribution Hub in Warrington. In a nutshell, I had a brilliant placement year where I was given the opportunity to build long lasting relationships with various colleagues and suppliers, whilst working on high profile projects throughout which were tailored to my interest of Supply Chain Development.

Don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone

From the perspective of a student, I was lucky to be given the opportunity to progress naturally in the roles which were entrusted in me to deliver. For example, from starting out as a UK Supply Chain Analyst responsible for a portfolio of 30 UK suppliers, to becoming an International Supply Chain Analyst where I was responsible for 15 international suppliers, and crucially the procurement of promotional stock for the Travis Perkins General Merchanting Division. I strongly believe this progression was a result of honest and productive discussions with Travis Perkins and relevant colleagues, trust is a two-way street and there’s no better time than as a student to put yourself out your comfort zone and to prove yourself.  The analytical experience as an SCA gave me a great grounding in the industry and prepared me well for my move to the Travis Perkins Plumbing and Heating Division, where it was my job to deliver the new Electric City range into the business.

Set goals and objectives during your placement so you can reflect on them at the end of your placement year

As highlighted above, I had a great year in terms of Supply Chain Development but from a personal perspective; I saw myself grow through the various roles and projects I was part of. At the start of my placement year, I had clear expectations of what I wanted to get out of my year in Industry and I believe this held me in really good stead. For example, a desire to improve my analytical skills led to specialised training sessions on the JDA system, which subsequently equipped me with the tools to use the software to extract key data and enabled me to set the correct safety stock levels for products within my supplier portfolio.

If possible, have regular catch up presentations with line managers

I am a strong believer of ‘You get out what you put in’ which is why I worked immensely hard to have a fantastic placement year at Travis Perkins. Whether this was through organising presentations to the senior management team to portray my progress, or getting involved in organising charity events for the team, I learnt how to build relationships and sustain them which I was really proud of. I also made friends which I am still in contact with today!

There’s more to life than work! Enjoy the people you’re going to be working with for a year and get involved in other activities.

Completing the Conquer the Cotswolds challenge and helping to raise over £10000 for WhizzKids Charity was a personal favourite moment of my placement year as it was a brilliant weekend spent away with colleagues to help a worthwhile cause. Moreover, organising charity events for Macmillan Cancer Support was a key highlight as it gave me the opportunity to put the skills of independence I had learnt over the year to good practice.

In summary, your placement year will be what you make of it, but I can assure you that if you apply yourself well and enjoy the challenge of working in the real world of work, you will have a brilliant year and surprise yourself with what you are capable of, both from a personal and professional perspective.

I wish you the very best of luck in your placement year, it will be a year of new faces and new experiences but most importantly, it will be an enjoyable year in industry which you will look back on with great memories.

Anasur