SMB Business Development Support Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the 13 months that I have spent here at HPE. I got involved in various projects throughout the year which exposed me to various business situations allowing me to take away key learning's. In addition to this, the intern community was major positive and a key differentiator compared to other placements.

I felt valued by every individual I interacted with be it an entry level position or senior management throughout every project/task I was involved in. My opinion was always taken into account and my suggestions often implemented as well as being given extra projects to get involved with due to excelling at previous projects.

At the start of the placement you get a 4 week handover period with the previous intern. This period is excellent getting to know the day job as well as helping you to gain your bearings with the company. Management always offered me support be in helping with daily jobs when needed or sponsoring me to get involved with other parts of the business.

I was always busy throughout my internship with various different projects. Having such varied work kept me interested throughout the year and allowed me to develop numerous transferable skills. It is down to the individual how busy they are by requesting to join any ad hoc projects. I found the ad hoc projects engaging and excellent in expanding my network.

I felt my levels of responsibility increased as I established myself within the organization. By the end of the internship, managers were happy to delegate important tasks to me which were for their managers. In addition to this, ownership of work is critical at the company so you have to be responsible for every piece of work conducted.

I feel the skills I have developed throughout this year put me in an excellent position to succeed in the future. Presentations, time management and data analytics are just a few examples of my key take away skills from this year. In addition to this, I feel I can apply these skills during my final year of university to achieve a high grade as well tangible projects to discuss at graduate interviews.

The atmosphere of the office was very good throughout the year. It was welcoming and relaxed whilst at the same time as having a hard working culture. Free fruit, tea and coffee only enhanced the atmosphere of the office. The London office had a greater buzz than the Bracknell office, due to the fact it was easier to go out for social activities after work.

With regards to the day job, I felt that the management and other team members offered all the support and knowledge transfer needed. With regards to the overall internship, I felt there could have been more of a structured development plan for every intern to ensure everyone leaves with the same experience/skills.

My team and management invested time in my personal development throughout the year. I felt the company could have done more in my general development. For example, having companywide CV development workshops or presentation workshops would have been beneficial. However, I feel the support provided by my team was sufficient for my own development.

Working at HPE, means that there are various graduates paths due to the sheer size of the organization. A large number of employees within the business were interns once most notably one of the senior managers in the UK. This illustrates how the company likes to hire back it’s intern if you impress.

There is a large community of interns at HPE, around 80. This meant that there was a great opportunity to make friends and have a great social life whilst on placement. The majority of interns moved to the area for work which means we all lived together which made the housing situation easier.

The cost of living in Reading, is medium when on a student budget. It is not as cheap as the North, but cheaper than London. As a student city, most nightclubs and bars are priced for a student budget. However, as everywhere you go there will always be more expensive places to eat and drink.

The nightlife in Reading is not good as other student cities. However, with a large intern community every night should be fun with a large group. Also, there are various smaller towns around Reading for a different night out. In addition, London is only a 30 minute train away from Reading for a better night out.

The interns carry a charity target which they have the year to achieve. This gives various opportunities to get involved outside of the work place. As well as this, various employee run their own projects outside of work which you can get involved in. In addition, my team always got me involved with post work activities which is a great opportunity to network.