From University to the Working World: Marketing Communications

My first month at Atlas Copco Compressors has flown by, but I already feel as if I have learnt a lot. Moving into the working world from University is always going to be large step, however due to all the great employees here at Atlas Copco it has meant that I was able to settle in straight away.

The outgoing Year in Industry student was a great help as she showed me around the office, introduced me to the new systems and the employees in the office. The other Year in Industry students and I have met up on several occasions outside of the office, which is great as we are able to interact away from the working environment and develop stronger friendships.

Working in the Marketing Communications team is great as all ideas and insights into different projects are valued and never disregarded, therefore the fact that I can make influential decisions after just a few weeks is really rewarding for me.

The next step was a group WebEx video call which was very useful as it allowed us students to gain a greater insight into the company culture and its location. Also, we were given the opportunity to ask questions which enabled us to enhance our understanding once more.

I came down the night before for the third and final step, which was the assessment centre. I was nervous yet excited for the 9 o’clock start, however we were all made to feel at ease upon arrival which meant that the nerves soon disappeared. The day included a tour, group exercise and a final interview with Joanna Canton Long. The day flew by meaning that it was only a matter of time before I received an offer or got the dreaded email stating my rejection. However, the following day I received a phone call offering me the Marketing Communications Assistant role; I was over the moon!

The best thing about working for Atlas Copco must be the people. This is because everyone is always looking to offer help and insight whenever I come across a challenging task. This creates such a great atmosphere that means that I don’t ever have to feel worried due to such helpful colleagues.

Also, the “activity based working” environment means that I can sit alongside different people each day, rather than having a fixed desk, allowing me to develop my understanding of the different areas within Atlas Copco.

In my opinion, the most exciting responsibility for me so far is control and access to all of Atlas Copco’s social media platforms. This gives me a total reach of approximately 480,000 people worldwide, which just goes to show the size of the organisation and the responsibility that the Year in Industry students have here at Atlas Copco.

After getting my hands on these tools, I have realised how much trial and error there is in order to target the right audience, schedule a post at the most engaging time and use the correct tone for each platform. We are given trust from the offset, allowing us to become a real part of the workforce, not just students!

During the year, I look forward to meeting and liaising with more people both internally and externally, whether this be at an exhibition or within the office. Also, I look forward to observing the outcomes of the projects I am working on. For example, the number of entrants for The Oldest Compressor campaign and the monitoring of our keywords on Google.

This year will move fast but I need to make the most of it and take advantage of every opportunity!