Food for thought: My Year in Industry at supermarket supplier Bakkavor Plc

Kush Bhalla is studying Accounting and Finance with a Year in Industry.  He is taking his Year at food manufacturer, Bakkavor Plc.

‘Food is a really fast-paced industry to get experience in, so I was really happy to make it through the selection process and land a placement at Bakkavor, who provide food to all the leading supermarkets.

I was rightly placed in the Finance Department covering management accounts and auditing.

The placement has offered me a great opportunity to learn, fast. There is always a high demand for the produce, so I am getting good exposure to a wide array of financial services.

My highlight has been working on the ‘Overheads File’. I have been able to use everything I learned in my second year Management Accounting module in this task. It involved budgeting, actual calculations and working out labour efficiency figures. I had to report back to senior management, who seemed happy with my work.

Throughout the placement, I aim to boost my financial experience overall, so I can make an informed decision about which area of finance and accounting I want to pursue as a career choice  I am also looking forward to improving technical knowledge and getting to network and build connections for the future.

To everyone considering whether to take this pathway with their course, I would definitely recommend doing a Year in Industry. It is a great experience and gives you loads to talk about on your CV.

Apart from learning about the work and gauging interest in the field, it gives you a work-life discipline which is great to have before you even graduate.’

Kush’s top three for Year in Industry

  1. Don’t give up! I was rejected many times before I landed this placement. You have to be resilient and apply, apply, apply
  2. Boost your Linkedin Profile:  It helps a lot for companies to see everything you’ve done in one place. Take the Employability Team’s advice on getting it right.
  3. Go that extra (curricular) mile! When you start university, think outside of your course. Take something related to the filed you’re looking to enter – an extra certificate, class or club for instance.

Kush is studying Accounting and Finance with a Year in Industry.

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