Jessica Webb

Country of origin: United Kingdom

Placement: Rolls-Royce

Completing a placement year meant escaping from textbooks and seeking an exciting role in the corporate world – I was finally getting a chance to practically apply the theory I had learnt from all those coursework assignments and exams. I chose to complete the Purchasing Internship with Rolls-Royce as I wanted to immerse myself in a completely different environment working with Aerospace and Marine markets. In addition, purchasing as a function is an area that is only briefly covered in management modules, so I wanted the chance to learn, experience and challenge myself in a new area.

My placement on the purchasing scheme involved two rotations, providing experience in different procurement departments and business units. As a Contract Buyer in an Aerospace Supply Chain Unit I was responsible for raising purchase orders on SAP (the online purchasing system) and working with other team members to ensure quality products were delivered on time. I was also involved with various contract negotiations, cost reduction workshops and the management of supplier invoices.  Within the first month of work, I was given responsibility to resolve issues with an American supplier and influence principal stakeholders to support site construction by a critical deadline date.

My second rotation provided me with a role as the Purchasing Development Leader in Submarines involving solving company challenges, particularly around risk and compliance. One project I was accountable for was to communicate the recent Government Security Classifications changes to all Rolls-Royce Submarines Suppliers to safeguard compliance for Ministry of Defence (MOD) data. I was also given licence to commercially assess and approve potential suppliers before Executive Board Review, by providing summarised supplier financial information and risk ratings.

I loved the breadth of experience on placement as I was consistently learning and developing. I was able to take part in training days focused on purchasing strategies to improve negation and influence skills and I even gained a Level 2 NVQ Qualification in Gas Turbine Basics after a course on how aeroplane engines work! I was also granted many different networking opportunities and shadowed Senior Execs in the Customer Facing Business Units (CFBUs).

This experience has improved my personal and professional development enormously. Not only did I survive the challenges of engineering acronyms and technical jargon, but also I developed confidence in my capabilities at work through the variety of opportunities I was able to engage in. It was especially rewarding when my efforts and results were recognised and appreciated by my colleagues. This experience also provided the chance to work on various projects alongside different business functions, which was useful to understand the type of area I wish to enter for a graduate role.

Applying for placement schemes can be a new, daunting process and the support provided by the LUMS Careers team for psychometric tests and interviews were particularly helpful to me. Moreover, the LUMS Careers Fair actually helped to support the success of my Rolls-Royce job application. I had been waiting a month longer than expected to hear the results from my first stage application, so I explained my position with the Rolls-Royce representatives at their stall. The morning after I received a phone call offering a place on their next assessment centre – the power of networking!