Operational Reporting Analyst Review

I highly enjoyed my placement as I was given a lot of responsibility from day 1. I have developed unique skills on placement due to working at GE through a transitional process (GE selling the Capital sector). I really enjoyed being a part of the GE Culture as GE embeds that you are 'real employees' not just interns.

I was valued by my stakeholders- they always provided me with opportunities and help when needed. The majority of stakeholders would provide recognition when a job was done well.

I would have monthly 1-2-1s to assess my strengths and weaknesses and then develop on these highlighted areas the next coming month. There would also be regular catch ups to provide support or guidance by my manager and 1 over 1 manager.

There were busy periods in the month e.g. when reporting on the prior month at the start of every month. Towards the end of the month is when it became quiet and you have to be proactive to get work.

I was given a high level of responsibility right from the start of placement. In my first month I was producing management information packs providing operational oversight on a specific department. I was also given the opportunity to assist in Business Development reporting (migration of the business) which again was reported at a high level.

I have expanded on my skills massively during placement. The confidence I have gained and the training I have attended will allow me to be more confident in areas such as presenting, leading a team as well as having more confidence in my assignments.

The atmosphere in the office varied. Everyone would know when to knuckle down but also it was very sociable. Due to the selling of the business, it was important to respect others who were going through an I&C process. The office is open plan and therefore it is easy in terms of communicating with others. I also like that fact that interns desks are just a couple of seats away from very senior people and therefore there is no exclusion from people with high roles.

There was a good handover from the previous years interns at the start of placement. There was also a good structure in terms of knowing what work you have each month, knowing who to go in the business when you needed help/advice etc. There was also the opportunity to extend placement which was an easy smooth process.

In terms of training and development GE massively invested in interns by proving numerous GE Crotonville accredited training courses, some of which lasted up to 2 days including: Influencing and presentation skills. There were also various workshops to attend including; networking, LinkedIn, change and resilience etc. This allowed you to gain knowledge and develop in a range of areas.

It is unfortunate that GEMUKHL is closing down due to GE selling the Capital sector as I would be more than happy to return once I had graduated. However, the skills I have gained and the understanding of GE can be transferable to other GE sectors if I wish to apply there after university. I have also gained skills which are transferable to all companies.

All of the interns got a long well, with regular socialising outside of work.

The cost of living was average, due to the office being located outside of London the prices were slightly cheaper and affordable. Rent took a large portion out of your monthly pay; however there was still money left over to socialise. The office was also ideally located very close to London where you could get to central London in 15 minutes at a reasonable price.

The nightlife was good with bars and nightclubs to suit all. The interns would go out every other week. Examples of bars in the area were: Oceana, Rift & Co (Revolution), Twisted Monkey and Walk About. The drinks were of a reasonable price and often had Two for One offers.

Due to the sociable atmosphere in GE, colleagues often socialised outside of work. The office was also located on a business park which promoted activities outside of work. GE Health Ahead allowed employees to be involved in sports events outside of work to promote healthy living which was also good in terms of building relationships with other people in the business who you would not normally see or speak to.