February 2014
Having finished my second placement as a Pricing Analyst, I started a placement in Customer Services at the beginning of November, in which I led a project to review the annual leave policy and create a mutually beneficial proposal for 175 advisors and the management team. This gave me plenty of opportunity to work with a number of people at various levels in the largest area of the company, as well as building my confidence leading a project.
From the beginning of the Graduate Programme, I had wanted to work in Pricing, so when the Pricing Analysis Manager role became available, I was pleased to be offered the opportunity to return to Pricing in London for my first management role with MO. This role will continue until the end of the Graduate Programme in April, at which time I will move into a permanent role.
My development through the Graduate Programme has been guided by my Sponsor and Mentor, and despite coming to the end of the 18 months, the support has remained excellent. Having worked in both the Bristol and London offices, I’ve also met a number of people across the business who’ve given me great support and advice from their different viewpoints in the business.
The Graduate Programme has provided me with the support, guidance and opportunities to better myself and start my career with strong foundations, in a role and department which – having had the opportunity to experience the area before - I want to be a part of.
September 2013
Since starting the Graduate Programme a year ago, I’ve completed a placement on the Insurance Project in Bristol and am now finishing up my second placement in Pricing in London. I will be moving back to Bristol for my third and final placement at the beginning of November.
These three placements will have allowed me to gain a broad range of experience. The Insurance placement focused on a large scale project. I had a business as usual job in Pricing which included some smaller scale projects. In November, I am due to start a management role in Customer Services. As such, I am confident that by the end of the Graduate Programme I will have gained the experience and contacts across the business to move into a permanent role for a new challenge.
In the past year, I’ve also been involved in a number of committees and owners' groups, both within my placement and the wider business. This provided a breadth of experience which would be difficult to achieve outside of such a well structured Graduate Programme.
Throughout the Graduate Programme I have had monthly meetings to check in with my Sponsor and Mentor, both of whom have opened doors when required to ensure that I have been well equipped to make the most of the Graduate Programme. They have also been happy to give advice on potential final roles.
May 2013
At the beginning of May I started my second placement in Vehicle Pricing, having completed my first six-month placement on the Insurance project. My first six months were in Bristol, but I’ve now moved to the London office, which was thankfully stress-free!
My placement as a Pricing Analyst involves both project and ‘business as usual’ elements. Given that my first placement was a 100% project role, this placement will give me opportunity to utilise the skills which I’ve learned over the last six months, as well as developing my skills in a business as usual environment.
In addition to my new role, I’ve been able to continue some responsibility from my first placement, allowing me to own an element of the insurance project from planning stage right through to implementation, and complete my first ‘major’ piece of work in my career.
I’ve now been with Motability Operations for eight - very quick - months, in which I’ve learned a lot, met a lot of great people, and have achieved a lot to be proud of. I have 10 more months and another placement until I’ve completed the Graduate Programme. I have no doubt that they will fly by.
January 2013
Since the last blog entry, I have started my first placement on Project Artemis. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the amount of accountability I’ve been given from day one, while still getting the support of my manager and colleagues. I have my own assignments within the broader project, and have had the opportunity to present my findings and progress in several meetings, including to the Finance Director. My main assignment currently is the development of an insurance premium pricing calculation, demanding input not only from my colleagues at Motability Operations, but also from the finance team at RSA insurance.
The nature of my placement means I am in meetings often with the executive team, which is brilliant exposure to the senior managers at Motability Operations, particularly considering I am just three months into my career.
Although my placement is based in Bristol, I’m in London at least once each week, which has allowed me to meet the teams at each office, as well as getting a feel for the London office for when I get a placement based there.
Before the Christmas break, we went to both the Bristol and London Christmas parties, which were really good nights, and were also a chance to meet colleagues outside of the office, allowing us to get to know our teams on a more social level.
Recently we have started looking into our next placements, in preparation for a move at the end of April.
Quickfire question: How has having a buddy helped you?
As somebody straight out of university, having a ‘buddy’ has been invaluable. A ‘buddy’ provides access to somebody with a year’s experience and knowledge of the Graduate Programme on a more informal level, for some of the questions which don’t warrant running by my mentor or sponsor. Right from day one, my ‘buddy’ was offering useful tips about life at Motability Operations, from how to prepare for meetings to general business etiquette. Overall, having a ‘buddy’ has made my transition into life at Motability Operations far more comfortable and has taught me things that otherwise, I would likely have had to learn ‘the hard way.’
October 2012
Since joining Motability Operations at the beginning of October, I have taken part in a really thorough induction programme. It has been invaluable, not only because it has given me a much better understanding of the company and its processes but also because it has helped me piece together the many different areas and really understand where I will fit in during my first placement. The induction programme has allowed me to meet people in both London and Bristol, including many members of senior management and it has quickly become apparent just how friendly and happy to help everybody at Motability Operations is.
As part of the induction programme, I have also taken part in a Disability Confidence workshop. It was useful to get a better understanding of the way we think about and treat our customers. Another highlight of the induction programme has been a Communication and Assertiveness workshop. This full day course helped me get a better understanding of the learning and working styles that get the best out of myself and my fellow graduates. I am in no doubt that I will use the skills I developed in this session throughout the programme and later in my career.
Although I have not been here long, I have already realised just how much value Motability Operations place on high performance and ensuring that every department across the business provides the best possible service. This realisation has made me even more excited to start my first placement, which will be on Project Artemis (an insurance project). I will be based in Bristol but will be travelling to London on a frequent basis to attend key project meetings, which will be a great opportunity for me to work with a number of people from across both sites.
Quickfire question: why did you apply to Motability Operations?
Having worked at a Motability accredited dealership during my time at university, I had seen first hand the level of customer satisfaction that Motability Operations could provide to its customers, and thought it would be a great company to work for. In addition to this, I wanted to work in the automotive industry, in which Motability Operations is a key player. After looking further into the Graduate Programme, I discovered it had won a ‘best place to work’ award in 2008, and the rotational placements offered meant that I could get a feel for different aspects of the company before selecting my chosen area at the end of the Graduate Programme, ensuring that I will end up in a career I truly enjoy.