Vendor Implementation Intern Review

The people are what make this such a good company to work for. Everyone is so friendly and there is a family culture not just within teams but across most functions.

I felt like there was positive pressure on me to contribute to the success of the team and this responsibility helped me develop skills in many areas that I can transfer to future careers

My line manager was very friendly and approachable and never made me feel like the stereotypical intern. I felt like I could always check things for authorization but at the same time felt trusted to make the correct decisions. We continuously had team meetings and 1-to-1 meetings to update progress and express any concerns or ideas we had.

At the start of my placement I wasn't too busy due to the nature of my role and the development of my training. However, once my training had progressed to a higher level I was able to take on a lot more tasks independently and along with the intern projects throughout the year I was kept very busy.

I was given a lot of responsibility in my daily role to create contracts implement system changes. Also in the intern project I was given huge responsibility for a task that had been shrugged off by experienced employees.

I feel I have been able to action and observe some of the managerial business processes that we have previously studied at University. I can now apply more practical knowledge to the theory which I will need to succeed in my final year. I have also learned people skills and understood business environments and processes that I can take forward to future similar careers or apply to a business of my own possibly.

The atmosphere was one of hard work but also togetherness. Many of our teams/functions linked between processes so there was a great network of support available throughout the business. Within my team there was a friendly atmosphere and we were encouraged to engage on a more personal level rather than constantly talking about work related queries.

The internship was very well organised; starting with a synchronized induction day where all the new interns attended prior to starting and were able to meet each other, meet our teams and get a general feel for the office environment. There were also intern projects throughout the year which were all organised well with attendance from the CEO, Managing Director and other senior members of staff. This was not only great experience for the future but also gave us a greater sense of achievement once our presentations were complete.

I was well trained at the start of my placement and was encouraged to engage with functions outside of my daily role. This gave me a greater perspective of the business and how processes link together and will also help me when deciding on a future career. There were also frequent development and training days organised by HR which usually involved external professionals coming into the office and we were all encouraged to attend to develop our personal, less technical skills.

In terms of the atmosphere and culture within this organisation I would love to replicate this in my future employment. However, I am not sure whether the role/industry I worked in on placement is of enough interest to me to consider a long term career in the organisation. Possibly I would look at another subsidiary of GE such as oil and gas if this appealed more than financial services.

Yes all the interns got along well and we were encouraged to engage in activities inside and out of work such as the health ahead and volunteering opportunities. I feel I have developed a great group of friends as well as colleagues that I will most certainly keep in contact with in the future. The only thing I would improve/recommend/consider if I were to do another placement is to provide a better platform to which placement students could organise accommodation together.

The cost of living and socialising was fairly reasonable and it is definitely a city I would consider living in in the future. I was lucky to get a placement in the same city in which I attend University so I am already used to the cost of living and socialising.

The office is not in a great location for nightlife as it is in a business park outside of the main city centre. However, when the group of interns did meet up and go into Bristol main city centre we experienced good nightlife and this was also the case for the work Christmas party.

Yes there were schemes such as health ahead, volunteering and just general organised sports events. I participated in a charity bike ride organised through health ahead which raised money for the Children's Hospice. I unfortunately missed GE volunteer events due to my start dates and holidays but I was able to attend and eventually organise 5 aside football matches which stretched both throughout GE Capital and GE Oil and Gas employees which was a great opportunity to socialise and compete with people I would not have met in my day to day role.