BMM4982 Professional Placement: Reflective Diaries at JPE Holding

This document presents a series of reflective diaries documenting a student's professional placement experience as a lorry driver at JPE Holding Ltd. The diaries cover preparation weeks, including CV building, communication skills, and teamwork exercises, as well as on-site placement weeks detailing experiences with the company's operations, waste management, and interactions with colleagues. Reflections include assessments of learning, skill development, challenges faced, and personal growth, with a focus on employability criteria, time management, and the integration of new ideas. The student reflects on their role within the team, their contributions, and their evolving confidence and understanding of the industry, ultimately aiming to enhance their professional skills and personal development through the placement.

PROFESSIONAL PLACEMENT
REFLECTIVE DIARIES
Student name:
Placement organisation:
IMPORTANT
Placement Preparation (Placement Launch) weeks (1&2) take place on university campus. The diaries for
these weeks are on the two blue line pages. Placement takes place on-site at the employer, and diaries are
on the five red line pages.
Complete all 7 reflective diaries.
Submit this completed document via the submission Turnitin link on the BMM4982 Moodle page.
Reflective Diary

1) Preparation Week One (Placement Launch)
Learning Experience: What did you do? What did you learn from the sessions? How well do you think you
participated?
In this first session as Lorry driver I firstly enrolled myself into the placement session their I updated my CV as per the
requirements of Company. From this I learned that for CV must be precise and and structured. I participated
extremely well in this session as I was excited and dedicated for the session.
What went well? What went not so well? Why? How can you assess this?
I realized that all the other peers in the session where interactive and I was able to communicate effectively with
them. But the the instructor for this session was not good in teaching skills. As the instructor does not provide the
complete information related to job role. I can assess this through session brochure.
What did you learn/achieve? Which employability criteria does this event impact upon? Have you changed how you
feel about your placement? If so, how? How do you want to be perceived on placement?
I have learned the communication skills and CV making skills. The event impacted upon the functional skills that will
help me finding and keeping a job. Yes I have changed my thinking about the placement as earlier I used to feel
nervous and panicked now I am more confident about placement. I want to perceived as an efficient, hard working
and dedicated lorry driver for the JPE holding Ltd.
Reflection: How will this experience be used for your personal development? What do you need to do or know before
you start? What practical actions can you take before your placement?
This experience of placement launch will help me in improving my CV and also build my communication skills that is
useful for personal development. Before I start I must know the skills and qualification required to work for this
profile in JPE holding Ltd. I will regularly practice for my interview, I will improve my driving skills and study about the
company and its operations.
Reflective Diary
2) Preparation Week Two (Placement Launch)

Learning Experience: What did you do? Have you enjoyed working in mixed groups?
In the next week I attended the next session of the placement launch their I worked on my group working skills. I
developed the team working skills and the behaviour to work as team. I enjoyed explicitly will working in mixed group
with diversified cultures and language.
What went well? What went not so well? Why? How can you assess this? Do you feel more confident about starting
your placement?
The session was knowledgeable and I learnt team working skills effectively and worked a teammate. But I faced a
issue of language as the language was the huge communication barrier I faced. As I was more interacting will the
people of same language and facing difficulty in passing message to other with different languages. Yes I feel I could
have started this placement session more confidently.
What did you learn/achieve? Which employability criteria does this event impact upon? What have you learned
about your personality preferences? What attitudes or behaviours will help or hinder your placement and how?
I have learnt the critical thinking, problem solving and team working skills in this session. I learnt the way to
interaction with mixed group. This impacted my employability criteria to work in team during my employment. I have
learned that I personality preference are the people with socialized background. My interactive and socialise
behaviour will help me during my placement because the it is useful as team member for effective communication.
Reflection: How will this experience be used for your personal development? What do you expect of the employer?
What support will you need? What do you want to achieve from your placement?
This will improve my team working capabilities which is useful for my personal development. I expect the employer
will also foster and appreciate my team working skills. I want a support of team-based learning activities. I want to
learn about construction sites and efficiency in lorry driving on such areas of logistics.
Reflective Diary

3) Placement Week One (On-site Placement)
Learning Experience: Tell us a bit about your placement. What is the organisation, what does it do? Where is it based,
with how many staff? Are you clear on your role/project/targets?
I have been placed as the lorry driver in the JPE Holding Ltd. An organisation that supplies primary and recycled soils,
sand, aggregates and clay. The company has role of inert waste disposal and waste management to the construction
industry. The company operates in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
What went well? What went not so well? Why? How can you assess this? How did you approach your first week?
What impression do you think you made? What are you excited/confident/nervous/worried about?
The first week at the site was satisfying and all the starting procedure went well. There was a problem as new comer
in understanding company's organisational cultural. I was able to make a moderate impression will some good
qualities and skills. I was excited to work in such big organisation but nervous of not been able to work to their
expectation.
What did you learn/achieve? Which employability criteria does this event impact upon? What might you have done
differently? How confident did you feel? What could help you? Do you know where to go for support? Have you
contacted your Placement Tutor?
I learnt about new technology advanced lorry trucks. This has improved my employability skills as a lorry driver and
added a new knowledge to my profile. I may have addressed my bio differently with more precisely and gracefully. I
felt confident but was also bit nervous. The motivation from employer. Yes to my colleagues or HR manager I can go
for support. No I didn't contacted my placement tutor.
Reflection: How will this experience be used for your personal development? What is your action plan? What could
you do to get more out of your placement?
This will help me in understanding my mistakes that I won't repeat in future for my personal development. I will
SWOT analyse my whole experience and then build time based plan to improve my weaknesses. I will re-revises all
the session of my placement launch and then contact my placement tutor for help.

Reflective Diary
4) Placement Week Two (On-site Placement)
Learning Experience: What are you enjoying? Who have you met? Who do you work well with and why? Do you like
the working environment you are in? Why?
I am enjoying the working culture of the JPE Ltd. And their I met the CEO of the JPE Ltd. And other lorry truck drivers
working from years in this firm. I worked effectively with my senior and assisted very well in helping him. I loved the
flexibility, safety of the employees in the working environment.
What went well? What went not so well? Why? How can you assess this? Do you have review meetings scheduled in
with the employer? Do you feel underworked/overworked or is the workload just right? Could you meet with your
supervisor to ask questions, ask for more support, clarify workloads and set realistic deadlines?
During the second week I was able to understand the whole functioning of the lorry truck and was able to driver it
well. I was still not able to understand the amount of load to carry in each lorry truck. Yes I have review- meeting
scheduled with my employer. I felt that workload was right. Yes there is full flexibility and transparency in
environment to meet supervisors for queries, support or clarify workloads.
What did you learn/achieve? Which employability criteria does this event impact upon? What might you have done
differently? What skills are you developing? What are you doing for the first time? What are you noticing about
yourself?
I learn to manage the workload effectively through my time management skills. This impacted my time management
skills as the part of my employability criteria. I could have set the deadline chart for better workload planning. I am
improving my organising, planning and time management skills. I am first time planning my own workloads and
directly communicating with supervisor. I am noticing that I becoming more responsible and accountable for my
work.
Reflection: How will this experience be used for your personal development? What is your action plan? What could
you do to get more out of your placement?
This experience is by far most learning experience that has helped me grow as person and also provided growth to
employability skills for my personal development. I will review my two weeks work and then design action plan for
next week to enhance my shortcomings. I could have interacted more with my supervisor to understand the deep
insights of the placement as the lorry driver.

Reflective Diary
5) Placement Week Three (On-site Placement)
Learning Experience: You are almost halfway! What are you enjoying? Do you feel part of the team? Do you think you
are you vocal enough? Have you brought any new ideas to the organisation? What are your key achievements so far?
I am enjoying learning daily about technology-based equipments and vehicles in the company. Also I am learning
about waste management and disposal to the construction sites. Yes, I definitely feel the part of the team. Yes I am
open and vocal to my opinions and ideas in the team. Yes I brought the new idea of attendance system of the lorry
drivers on the site. I have collected the 10TPD waste from the different construction sites in one day.
What went well? What went not so well? Why? How can you assess this? What are you most proud of? How you
think you are perceived at work? What have you found difficult? Is it different to how you thought it would be?
Everything I was working was going well till this week. Then I faced that I was not assigned new sites I was
repeatability working over same sites. This made me feel that I my growth is hindered. I am more perceived as the
hard working, highly organised and punctual employee. The loading of the waste in the truck from construction site is
difficult because I though it would be through machine directly but it is manual too as I was require to separate the
wet and dry waste.
What did you learn/achieve? Which employability criteria does this event impact upon? What might you have done
differently? Are you more confident now? How? Have you met everyone you want to meet?
I learn about the construction sites, their business functions and how waste is useful when recycled. This will help me
adding extra knowledge for the career growth or future employability opportunities. I could have more worked into
diversified field rather than in same logistics department. Yes I am confident now in this area. Yes I have met
everyone I wanted to meet.
Reflection: How will this experience be used for your personal development? Is this the kind of work you would like
to do when you graduate? Why? Are you at your best in this environment? Are you ready to progress a level in your
work?
This whole experience is developing interpersonal communications kills and also helping in building the relationship
and networking for my personal development. Yes this work is something that I would prefer to do when I graduate.
Because for the country it is very important to collect waste and recycle for the circular economy. Yes I am best in the
this flexible, work oriented environment. Yes, definitely I am ready to progress a level up in my work.

Reflective Diary
6) Placement Week Four (On-site Placement)
Learning Experience: What are you enjoying? Are you getting feedback from the employer on your progress? How are
your energy and stress levels? Have you spoken to your Placement Tutor?
I am enjoying the working environment, learning for trucks, on -site experiments, training and the job at construction
site. Yes the employer provide me regular feedback at week end that represents the my Key performance. My energy
is at high level for learning new things, taking responsibility but I am also stressed to moderate level for performance
development.
What went well? What went not so well? Why? How can you assess this? How any different groups of people have
you worked with? How have you grown personally and professionally?
The performance expectation for my work went really well as my feedback from supervisors were good and
satisfying. I analysed that I was not optimally utilizing my some skills such as technical skills. I have more knowledge of
other lorry trucks that other people of group lack. I have exponentially developed myself in both personal and
professional perspective, I gained some skills like communication, time management that are good for my personal
and professional growth both.
What did you learn/achieve? What might you have done differently? What skills and competencies have you really
developed? Which achievements will you update your CV with?
I have learn to stay focused for my work and maintain the consistency of my performance. I should have self analyse
my performance every week in order to recognise my shortcomings. I have developed my time management skills,
communication skills, team working skills and I have developed my driving competency and Technical knowledge.
Reflection: Will you continue working with the organisation in some capacity following your placement? How many
LinkedIn connections will you make before you leave?
I will continue working in same organisation as this support my personal and professional growth and also the
working environment is highly supporting. I will approximately have 100 LinkedIn connections.

Reflective Diary
7) Placement Week Five (On-site Placement)
Looking back to the three areas of development you identified- what activities have you done relating to each of
these? How have you progressed? Any digital skills you acquired?
Area 1: Time management
For time management skills I have been provided workload which I used to plan and organise myself with realistic
deadlines. I have developed this skills very well from my earlier level through this activity. Through this I was able to
learn the time management in order to meet the deadlines of my work assigned to me.
Area 2: Team working
I have learned to work in mixed group with different perceptions, culture and language. I learned about team working
spirit and the collaborative working. I also worked with team in the on-site waste disposal activity. I have progressed
effectively as in starting I used to face language barrier but now I am comfortable.
Area 3: communication skills
I have gained the communication skills. I am more able to interact effectively with employer and supervision. I am
more open to my opinions and also share my views. This has also provided me a confidence.
What feedback have you received from your supervisor at work? What is your reflection on this feedback? Is it what
you hoped for?
I have received a feedback of dedicated, well mannered employees of the JPE organisation during my working tenure.
He has also appreciated me for my good performance at work and my well mannered behaviour will my colleagues. I
feel the feedback provided by the supervisor was well written in formal language and was appropriate as per my
performance. Yes, this is completely as I hoped.
How has this placement changed your career aspirations? What would you like to do for the Level 5 placement?
This placement has changed my career aspiration from lorry driver to open a business of recreating the lorry drivers
and buying lorry to earn more in upcoming years.
How will you update your CV with this experience?

I will add the 2 years of experience in the logistics area in big and renowned organisation. I will add my achievements
in the CV. I will add new technical skills. I will update my CV as the expreienced.
References
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Cleak, H. and Ross, B., 2021. Writing a placement report. Writing Skills for Social Work Students.
Conroy, K.M. and McCarthy, L., 2021. Abroad but not abandoned: supporting student adjustment in the
international placement journey. Studies in Higher Education. 46(6). pp.1175-1189.
Hay, K. and Ross, B., 2021. Writing a reflective text. Writing Skills for Social Work Students.
Tröger, J and et. al., 2021. Can Reflective Diary-Writing Increase Sufficiency-Oriented Consumption? A
Longitudinal Intervention Addressing the Role of Basic Psychological Needs, Subjective Well-
Being, and Time Affluence. Sustainability. 13(9). p.4885.