This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
There were brief parts of the internship that were engaging and interesting, but the majority of the work was incredibly menial and I did not feel like I learnt very much about the financial planning industry.
Even though the tasks I completed were very basic and easy, I was very obviously appreciated by a wide range of colleagues for getting these tasks done.
Started off well, with a thorough introduction and initial plan, but before long my supervisor had lots of other work and was often too busy to find tasks for me. Instead, I had to turn to other graduates/colleagues in an attempt to find work.
90% of the time I had nothing to do and was often incredibly bored.
Aside from taking care of some basic administrative duties, I was given next to no responsibility.
I have now decided to pursue a career with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, working in international security. I have completely been put off working in the financial sector.
The Company
I had a good laugh with the guys who were sitting around me, it wasn't particularly dull because of this.
Despite appearing to have planned a productive outline of my internship. my supervisor did not carry out his initial ideas. I often just felt like a burden, getting in the way of the workings of the office.
I had 2 full days of training and an induction session on my first morning, so better than nothing! However, lots of the training was too complex and did not relate to me. Therefore, I gained little from it.
They briefly asked if I would be keen to work for them in the future but I turned down the opportunity there and then.
The Culture
Yes, I would spend most lunches with the same group of guys and organised a few social events after work too.
I did not live in the same area, but it seemed relatively reasonable.
Quite poor, had one fun night at the casino but that was it.
The only ones I heard about were football and golf, neither of which I play to a high enough standard.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
West Midlands
January 2016