Finance Summer Intern Review

The internship was a fantastic experience and I feel like I have taken away a lot from it. I enjoyed working within my team, the cultural environment was extremely friendly and I felt part of BAE right from day one. I was given responsibility for a wide range of tasks and projects which both ehanced my knowledge and skills.

I felt valued by my colleagues right from the start, this is one of the distinct aspects of BAE where everyone treats each other with respect and builds close relationships. There was an opportunity to express my ideas and opinions and they were taken on board by various levels of management.

Although I was given the opportunity to create my own direction there was plenty of support available from my manager and my colleagues. My manager was always willing to answer my questions and guide me in the right direction. Support and guidance was not only given for my day to day role but for my career and personal development as well.

My workload levels were varied but generally there was a balance where I was not too busy but not free either. The level of workload was perfect for me to be able to set my own pace. At certain times when I did not have much going on there would always be the opportunity to ask to get involved in tasks with my colleagues.

I was given quite a bit of responsibility during my placement and this was the reason I was able to develop both my skills and knowledge. The tasks and work which I was carrying out added real value to the team and got me involved in the role of my team within the business.

I developed a lot of skills during my internship ranging from team working to my communication skills. The skills developed are transferable and will definetely assist me within my future career. Furthermore the knowledge I was able to pick up on through on the job training and from my colleagues will assist me in the future. As finance is an area which I would like to go into the skills and knowledge I have gained has been invaluable.

The atmosphere of the general office was fun and friendly. Everyone was always willing to have a chat and interaction with others was always encouraged. People would always be willing to help and listen to your ideas with interest. Overall it really felt like everyone was working together with a collective goal.

The overall placement was well structured and organised; when I arrived everything was ready for me. I had reviews with my manager throughout to ensure I was heading in the direction of my objectives and the work I was doing was allowing me to do this. In addition, there was also a structure to the tasks and responsibility I was carrying out and I knew what was expected from me.

The training and development was really good and BAE is focused on making sure you reach your full potential and helping you do this. My manager and colleagues were always willing to take time out of their day and help develop my knowledge and encourage me to step outside my comfort zone.

The future prospects are very appealing because I have been able to gain an insight into the environment and I have definitely considered a graduate position with BAE. BAE systems provides immense amount of opportunities and really considers their people as their assets which makes it a perfect place to start my career.

There were a few events going on regularly which provided the chance to get to know other interns and colleagues. My team also organised social events. As we were a small site there were not that many events going on but when there was we would always be invited to them and encouraged to attend.

The site was based in a small town and the cost of living was fairly average. Due to the location of the site it was quite difficult to travel to without a car. The cost of travelling to social events was also slightly expensive as you would have to rely on taxis. However, in terms of restaurants and bars the cost of socialising was not too bad.

There was not a lot of nightlife around the area and you would have to travel further to Shrewsbury or Wolverhampton for a decent night out. This would cost quite a bit and there would be travel time so not always ideal. We tried to organise nights out but it was quite difficult, in particular for as a few of us were travelling from Birmingham.

There were a few opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work which were organised by my team, however again as I was not living locally I could not attend that many. People tended to get involved in sporting activities outside of work and would always pass on the invitation, this was good if you were interested in sports.