Commercial Placement Review

I am a trading executive for TUI Ireland. I am responsible for the set-up of new seasons and destinations. I also price and trade destinations to achieve a profit. Some of my work involves following competitor behaviour and market trends. I have also had opportunities to organise company wide events and present parts of my work to senior members of staff.

I was given a lot of responsibility in my placement, and contributed to the profitability of the business. I was a valued member of staff, and had just as much responsibility in my role as I would have done had I applied for a permanent position. Of course, I was supported throughout the year, and the first few weeks were exclusively training, but once I had settled I was trusted with more responsibility.

Too many to count! My confidence in my work and when presenting has grown hugely over this past year. I have developed my skills on platforms like Excel and Powerpoint. I have also improved my time-management and efficiency when completing tasks. Some newer skills I have learnt are data analysis, and how to use various platforms to set-up, price and trade. I have also learnt so much about the travel and tourism industry, especially within the Irish market.

The first 6-8 weeks of my placement were mostly taken up with training sessions from around the business. As the weeks went on, I would start being given smaller responsibilities until the training finished and I began to take on more in my role. Throughout the year everyone was always willing to help, or give refresher training sessions at any point. I had daily conversations with my line manager, where I could express any concerns. I also had a placement buddy from another area of the business, and a mentor who helped guide me throughout the second half of my placement. The Learning and Development team were also brilliant throughout in supporting us.

From my experience, and speaking to others within the company, TUI really takes care of their employees. The company culture is supportive yet fairly relaxed. There is a huge focus on employee well-being, and hard work is celebrated with launch days and team lunches etc. It is a hybrid working environment so some teams come in less, and the office can be very quiet at times, but the company culture and ethos is brilliant

I loved it! I got to move to a new city and experience working for the year. Working in the travel industry also has it's perks, I've been able to travel to four new countries (not including moving to Ireland). It came with it's challenges (as most jobs do), but I really enjoyed my placement and would happily return to the company in the future. I've made friends for life, and gained skills that I can take forward with me wherever I may end up.

Yes