BSc Accounting, Finance and Economics student Loredana Potang is taking a placement year at car firm, Honda, as a Financial Assistant.
‘I am from Romania and was offered the opportunity to do a study exchange in the United States for a year, studying microeconomics, before I came to the UK.
The course taught me that while I am very good at maths, I was also interested in economics and how finance fitted into society. I also loved learning in a new country.
I decided that the UK was a great place to study business further and I opted for the University of Kent after looking online at the campus and seeing that everything was in one place and easy to access, while also close to a big city.
I chose Accounting, Finance and Economics to get a really good overview of all the topics I was passionate about. Adding the Year in Industry in the middle of my course also seemed like the perfect opportunity to boost my CV.
University life was everything I’d hoped for and the staff at Kent are so supportive. There was the opportunity to book 15 minute slots with tutors regularly, which was really vital for me.
I enjoyed much of the course content but the modules in systems like Excel were the most beneficial and taught to give us a really solid understanding.
When it came to looking for a Year in Industry placement I applied for as many as 30 placements, mainly in corporate environments, with the help of the Employability Team who helped me to perfect my CV.
To secure a place at Honda was perfect – a well-known brand, at the height of technology and innovation in a corporate environment.
The first days were naturally nerve-wracking but I was fortunate that there was a month-long handover with the previous intern to ease me into working life.
I help with cost centre management and working out if we’re over or under budget and why. I am also in charge of consolidating the financial statements and balance sheets. There’s been a lot of responsibility and I am thankful for my university modules in Excel which have made the role a lot easier!
Aside from the technical process side of the job, there’s also been exciting things like working on a project with England Rugby. I got to go Twickenham where Honda had a stand and worked more in a sales and marketing capacity. It’s nice to be getting lots of different experience.
For those also looking to do a Year in Industry, I recommend they really dive into their research when applying for it and prepare all they can. The hard work will be worth it – the experience you will get this year will set you up for life.’