Finance Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed working at Eaton this year, and feel like it has given me a good feel for the working environment. I have got on well with my colleagues, and feel that I contributed to the business in a big way. I would've liked to have worked in a more vibrant environment, but I was exposed to higher management on a daily basis which aided my development.

I was given high importance tasks early on in the year, and as the year went on, I became a reliable and trusted means of analysis and reporting from more senior colleagues. Outside of work I developed valuable relationships with colleagues on a personal level, and formed friendships with the rest of the intern team which became particularly helpful when tackling tasks that required knowledge of different functions to my own.

I was supported by my predecessor when I first began my role, as I was given a short handover. From then on, I received support and guidance from multiple colleagues; not only about my role, but also about my further career which was particularly valuable to me given the success of the colleagues that offered their advice.

My role consisted of a few core tasks, as well as more seasonal work. Having spent the year in the finance team, Month End, Quarter End, Year End were the busiest times, but on a daily basis I would get an array of Ad Hoc requests, especially as I became more trusted by senior colleagues. I always had the opportunity to request more work, and I found that it was much better to be too busy than not busy enough.

Being located in the Head Quarters of the particular division that I worked in, I was exposed to Directors of the Company on a day to day basis. I would correspond with people much higher in the organisation on a regular basis, and I often sent my work directly to said Directors. This meant that there was a lack of a buffer between myself and important colleagues, so I felt that I had a high level of responsibility.

My degree is very different to my role during my Placement year, so there is a limit to how much technical knowledge can be passed between the two. However, core skills such as communication, presentation and organisation are certainly things that I will be able to take forward to my final year, as well as my career after University.

The team I worked in was very small, and as a result the atmosphere was very quiet. I would've liked more interaction on a day to day basis, but it did mean that there was a lack of distractions in the office. Due to people in the office often travelling, it was not uncommon for there to be less than 10 people in the building which often left me de-motivated as it was just too quiet.

The organisation from the company couldn't be faulted, the training events all ran perfectly, and any issues I had were dealt with professionally and confidentially. It was also made imperative that I passed over my role fully and comprehensively to my replacement, so that any useful hints and tips weren't lost upon my exit from the business.

The company invested an impressive amount of time and money into my development. Regular training events were put on for all of the interns, they emphasised how important it was that we gained experience and networking opportunities, and there constant reassurance that our development was the key goal in the whole internship process.

I am still unsure what exactly I want to do within my career so at the moment any proposition is appealing. Having seen the way that Eaton invest time in Interns, I would certainly be tempted to look into their graduate opportunites, but at this stage I want to vary my experiences as much as possible, so it is most likely that I will pursue a role elsewhere.

When we met up for Intern Training events, there was a fantastic atmosphere between the class of interns. Being from multiple locations it was refreshing to socialise with the other interns on a regular basis, and I've also built up a good network of contacts in different areas if I come to need them. Aside from that I've developed friendships, some of which will last past the year at Eaton.

I lived at home due to my proximity to my location, so my knowledge of my local area meant that socialising wasn't very difficult, especially as I already had friends in the area. Leamington Spa where I am based is a reasonably sized town, easy access into Birmingham and a reasonable night life and shopping scene.

There are many nice bars, a few student bars used by Warwick University students, as well as a cinema, a lot of restaurants, a theatre and many other attractions. In the week the town can be fairly quite in the evenings, but at the weekends, especially in the summer, the town is fairly vibrant.

Where I worked there was very few other people located at the same location. To the extent that we would've struggled to get a 5 a side team together. Due to the age range, there weren't any opportunities for any events, very few get togethers. If I was not living at home I would've found it very difficult to find enough to do.