Human Resources Intern Review

My placement year at Travelport was a very enjoyable experience. I had the opportunity to be involved in so many different projects across the various sections of HR.

During my work placement, I felt like a valued member of the team. I was regularly given the opportunity to take on new tasks and projects. I received a lot of positive feedback regarding work that I completed for several different people, which showed just how much my effort was appreciated.

My manager was always around if I needed help with anything. We also had one to one meetings every week where I could raise any issues or ask for support with my work. People in my team and the wider department were also more than happy to help if I had any questions.

The extent to which I was busy differed throughout the year. One of the key projects during my placement involved leading the recruitment of the following intake of placement students. I was extremely busy during this project, which lasted from October to April, as I was involved in every stage of the process. During other times of the year, I was not quite as busy and sometimes needed to ask for additional work.

Straight after my handover from the previous intern, I was responsible for managing the recruitment process for a short-term graduate intern position. As time went on, I was given larger projects to manage. For example, a few months into my placement, I had the opportunity to oversee the entire recruitment process for the following intake of placement students and had major input at every stage.

The nature of my role enabled me to develop many transferrable skills that will be very beneficial during my final year at university and beyond.

The atmosphere in the office was very positive. From day one, everyone was very friendly and welcoming, and people were always happy to help if I needed anything.

Overall, I think the placement was well organised. There were several large projects for me to get involved in over the course of the year, which kept me very busy. There were a few times during my placement where I had a lighter workload but I was always able to ask for additional responsibilities when necessary.

The company ran an all-day ‘Aspiring Managers’ training session specifically designed for the Intern group. It covered a variety of topics including public speaking, management styles, networking and personal branding. On top of this, I had the opportunity to attend a number of company-wide training courses designed for employees making the transition to management.

Travelport does not currently have a graduate scheme in place; I think this is something they are looking into for the future. Before I left the company, my manager and other people in the department said they would be happy for me to return after my studies, should there be a permanent role available.

Most days we all had lunch together and we occasionally arranged socials outside of work. We also attended quite a few of the social club events together. Some of the other students commuted from their family home so it was sometimes difficult for us to arrange a time or place that was convenient for everyone.

I lived in central Slough for the duration of my placement. My accommodation was affordable as it was a similar price to what I was paying at university (in Reading). Compared to other areas of the UK, prices are slightly higher in the South East, particularly as we were based just outside of London.

The office is based in Langley (next to Slough), which does not really have too much to offer in terms of nightlife. However, Windsor is close by and has some nice bars and a few clubs. It is only about 2 miles away, so it is easy to get to.

Travelport has a social club which organises company-wide activities throughout the year. During my placement, I signed up to a variety of different events, including bubble football, chocolate making, go-karting and boat parties. Other than this, I also attended a few social events outside of work with colleagues from the HR department, including going out for lunch, dinner or after-work drinks.