UK&I Marketing and Comms Review

Most satisfying were the times when I was managing mini-projects or an element of a project to 'own' and when I was out of the office at events or another office. What really let this placement down, for me, was the lack of an intern community in the central London office and when I was left 'scraping the barrel' and looking for more work.

I rarely saw members of my team nor did the majority approach me when they were around. Only a few members of my team gave me tasks and the chance to demonstrate my skills and develop trust with them.

Everyone I worked with was really helpful, having a handover period at the start of the placement with the old intern really helped too. Sometimes you would have to find the information you needed yourself, but this only helped to build up independent skills in the work place.

Was a very busy placement, with a number of people who would come to you asking for help or certain tasks to be completed.

I had real responsibilities, if I wasn't in the team then alot of things would fall apart. I also had the chance to go out and do my own thing on a few new tasks given to me so there was freedom in the responsibilities too.

My time management skills will never be better, I now have a good work ethic which I look forward taking back to an educational place to assist me in getting the best result possible. I also hope to return back to the same company and even team after I graduate, so fingers crossed this placement year has also set me up with a great career opportunity.

Although where I sat was fairly quiet as I worked in a world wide role and the team are 95% remote the intern community at HP is vast so there are always people to go and have lunch with or catch up over a coffee, this also goes outside of the workplace where there was always numerous social activities.

I had a very definite role to be fitting into and everything was well organised for my arrival. Partly due to again the current interns preparing everything for a month long handover period which smooths the transition to the best it can be.

If there was something I wanted to do I pretty much got to do it. Or alteast I felt that every effort would be made to see if it was a possibility. The team also were always happy to spend some time with me to walk through new products etc to make sure I had a full understanding of the business.

I hope that I am about 95% in with a job when I graduate, it all depends on if the business unit I was working with in continues to grow as it has the past year. But as a company in general I think I would very much like to go back into HP.

There was a good intern community at HP with over 100 interns and most living in houses together out of the nearby town. I however was living back at home, but there was always opportunities to get involved in the social events outside and inside the work place. There is also lots of fundraising opportunities which everyone can get involved with, the main one being the three peaks challenge.

I was living at home so can't really comment, think people were paying about £350 a month to rent and from my local knowledge of the town Reading it can be around a £40 night out on the tiles at the weekend, but on student nights it can be very reasonable.

Reading has a selection of clubs pubs and bars so there is always something to go to. Also it has a large choice of resturaunts and is not too much hassle to get into London from.

There was always something going on within the Intern community be it a night out or a fund raising activities, you were also encouraged to run your own events.