Supply Chain Summer Intern Review

I did enjoy my internship at Rolls-Royce. I was given real work that would otherwise have been done by my line manager, or another member of my team, which made me feel as if it actually mattered. Ultimately I have decided that it isn’t the job for me, but that doesn’t reflect negatively on the internship.

I felt valued by my colleagues. My line manager consistently asked for my view on different matters which showed that he did value my opinion. My colleagues were happy for me to complete work without a lot of input, which made me feel as if they trusted my judgement. I was also trusted to relay work to staff in other areas of the business.

My line manager set out my objectives for the intership during my first few days, and we then met on a regular basis for him to assign more smaller tasks, and to get an update on my progress. I could have asked anyone on my team for help at any point should I have needed it.

Some days I was very busy and some days not. My line manager was consistently very busy which meant he didn't always have time to give me work on days where I didn't have a lot going on. However, on less busy days I was able to use my time to work on other things, and I arranged to spend some time with people in other areas of the business to see what they did day to day. I worked 8 hours every day, with a half hour lunch break.

I was given real jobs to do that had a direct impact on the company. This made me committed to completing tasks to a high standard. I was responsible for compiling a specific important report, and spent time liaising with staff members in different areas of the business, and in different countries. I was also given work to present to more senior staff members.

I was given the opportunity to do Yellow Belt training, which is a recognised qualification that will help me in my future career. Overall I think it is more the soft skills I learnt that will assist me further in my degree and career, as I ultimately do not want to go in to the same industry in the future. I developed my organisation and presentation skills, and also got good experience of working in a large, multi-national company.

The office had a very positive atmosphere. A few different teams all work together in the same space, creating a large office with a happy environment. There was always someone around to chat to, and most days there was some sort of cake due to it being someone's birthday, or to celebrate a big order! I would frequently go for a walk to the nearby town with some of the people on my team for lunch, as taking a proper lunch break was encouraged.

The internship was very well organised. The early careers consultants were often in touch to let us know what deadlines we had coming up in terms of things they had organised. All the interns seemed to have set goals and know how to work towards them. We had a corporate induction day in the first week which was a good introduction to the company. All of the interns had their own HR hub set up where we logged our goals, and also booked things like time off.

As a summer intern, I didn't have as much invested in me as the year long interns in the same department. However, my line manager spent a lot of time explaining the ins and outs of the company to me, and explained all of my tasks in detail. I was also given the opportunity to do Yellow Belt training at no cost, which would not have been the case had I done it outside of Rolls-Royce.

I don't personally want to work at the company in the future, but this is due to the fact I want to work in a different industry that would not be possible here. However, if I did want to continue to work in the same industry the grad scheme is very appealing. Those that sign on to the grad scheme after completing the summer internship are given a bursary for their final year in university.

All of the summer interns lived together in the University of Derby halls. There was a good social scene, and we met for drinks a few times a week. The apprentice and graduate association at Rolls Royce also arrange a number of social events most weekends (paintball, trampolining, cocktail tasting), which was a good way to meet some of the graduates working at the company.

The cost of living in Derby was quite standard. Halls were around £100 a week. Drinks could be quite cheap provided you didn't go to expensive bars. There is a tesco metro in the town centre, but getting to large supermarkets could be difficult for those without a car, which could make food shopping more expensive.

The nightlife was similar to any small uni town. There were a number of different clubs, some chains like Revs and Lola Lo's. We generally went to a bar (Fatcat) that did half priced drinks on a Tuesday, and then out to a club on a Friday after work. I imagine it could get repetitive after more than 10 weeks if you're used to a big city though!

The apprentice and graduate association organised activities most weeks, that were open to members and non members at a slightly increased price. It is only £5 to join for the summer, so it is worth joining as you'll probably make the money back after only one event. The interns also arranged to do things like play squash together some nights after work.