Finance Placement Review

My role at TJX involves supporting the payroll team in manging the payroll for all of our UK associates that work in stores whilst also supporting the wider commercial finance team. During my time so far, I have found the technical components of the job to be the most crucial from producing decks with data driven insights to helping manage payroll expenditure including forecasting and budgeting. Due to the ever-changing nature of the retail environment, no two days has been the same during my placement with priorities, workloads, and business requirements frequently changing. This has meant that I have had to develop many key skills to ensure I can successfully complete my placement and support the team and wider company in completing their objectives

Throughout my placement at TJX Europe, I was given a significant level of responsibility and was trusted to manage tasks independently. I regularly analysed payroll and financial data, produced reports and presentation decks for business stakeholders, and responded to ad-hoc requests from District Managers and Regional Directors. I was also entrusted with organising team events and also lead a fundraising initiative for Red Nose Day,

Throughout my placement, I was able to develop a range of new skills while also improving ones I already had. One of the biggest improvements was my communication skills, particularly learning how to communicate with different stakeholders across the business. I have also improved my analytical and technical skills by working with payroll data, budgeting, forecasting, and creating reports to support business decisions.
I have also become much more adaptable by learning how to manage changing priorities and deal with ad-hoc requests. Alongside this, I have developed my leadership and organisational skills through organising team events and helping to lead fundraising activities.

At the beginning of my placement I received support and guidance from my line manager and the wider team but this gradually reduced as my placement year continued. Towards the end of my placement, I received little support from my line manager as I was capable of completing many tasks independently

The company culture and atmosphere was great. The company allows for Summer Fridays (finish at 1pm) and supports flexible working hours. Hybrid working is encouraged and fully supported. There are great social opportunities including a finance barbeque, year-end celebration and many other social events held throughout the year. The company also supports red nose day with many activities and events organised to help raise money for a great cause.

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year at TJX and feel that I developed both professionally and personally throughout the experience. The placement provided me with the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the business while continuously developing my skills and confidence in a professional environment. TJX also offered a wide range of opportunities for learning and development throughout the year, which made the experience particularly rewarding. I would highly recommend this placement to anyone looking to begin a career in finance

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