My placement at Prime – Akiel Johnson

Every year Prime hires a unique individual to join us in the Manchester office on a placement year. This year, we’ve been joined by Akiel Johnson, studying Sports Marketing at the Manchester Metropolitan University. He is soon finishing his time here at Prime, so we thought it would be great to ask him a few questions about his experience at Prime and what he has learned from a year in Recruitment.

How has your year been at Prime?

“My year has been incredible. A year full of opportunities, a lot of challenges, and a lot of ups and downs. I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve gained some incredible experiences that I would never have had the opportunity to do if I had stayed at University for my third year.”

What has been the best memory at Prime?

“My first best memory would be being embraced by the team straight away. In my first week at Prime, I was able to watch the Euros with Prime and remember being instantly welcomed and feeling part of the team. 

The next would be going to Dublin as a company incentive because we hit our targets. That was an incredible achievement and a fantastic opportunity to go abroad as a team was a very special moment for me.

But my most recent and best memory would be getting promoted on placement, which is something I never thought would happen when I started. So the opportunity to progress within this company, even on placement, says a lot about Prime.”

What has been the biggest challenge?

“Being promoted was a great memory, but getting to that moment was a challenge. The ups and downs of Recruitment are hard, and continuing to drive to reach your targets means you have to keep a mental edge about yourself and keep pushing to reach the goal.”

Can you see yourself having a career in Recruitment after University?

“100%. Recruitment isn’t something I considered before joining Prime, but as soon as I started the process and understood the world of Recruitment and the benefits of this profession, I was in. I love the competition and the pressure to succeed, I’m aware it’s hard, and the hours can be long, but the personally and professionally growth I received in this role is fantastic.”

What would you say to a 2nd Year student thinking about securing an Industrial Placement?

“I think everyone should do a placement. Everyone I’ve spoken to who has done a year placement always says so highly of it. The level of professionalism you gain, the skills you acquire, and your character development are things you’ll never get without one.”

Akiel has been a fantastic addition at Prime and will be sorely missed when he returns to University. Within his time at Prime, Akiel has smashed all of the goals set out in front of him, acquired fantastic commission and has been promoted to Senior Sales Resourcer, which is incredibly rare for a placement student!