Intern Review

Very much so, great company to work for. My colleagues for the placement were exceptionally welcoming and very helpful.

Very, I did the actual work of the firm every day, and staff trusted me to meet clients and do the work to a high standard.

My supervisor was helpful and easily accessible, management were incredibly, indeed surprisingly, willing to give up their time to talk to me and help me.

I had a lot of work to do but I was not massively stressed out by the amount, a good amount of work was given.

I did the same level of work as the first years at the firm do.

My degree is in a totally different area, but many of the soft skills I developed will undoubtedly be helpful in my later career.

The general atmosphere in the office was very good. In my department there was a strong welcoming and friendly atmosphere. There was also a significant sense of a collective endeavour, as the work could often be stressful at certain times of the year, like when I was there. The managers generally looked out for the other members of staff, which meant that company employees felt valued and that the firm was looking out for them.

The internship was very well set up. My time was planned well in advance by my supervisor, so that I was never at a loose end or unsure where I should be going or what I should be doing on a specific day. I had a choice in some of the work I wanted do with different departments and was given the choice to work from the main office or the client's sites on occasions. I got to see a wide array of the work the firm does due to the organisation of my internship.

They invested several days in my training to do the job whilst I was on the internship, and several more days training me in more broadly based soft skills with the rest of my cohort at the company training centre in Buckinghamshire. People throughout the firm, from associates to partners, were also willing to invest time in helping me to more greatly understand the firm, it's service offerings and where I could fit into that. I now have a far greater understanding of the nature of the work a professional services firm does, and what skills are necessary to work there.

Future employment prospects within the firm are highly appealing, and I have accepted an offer to start with the firm next year. The pay is fine for a trainee and the career progression is clearly set out, with significant rewards in terms of responsibility and greater financial benefits for ascending the company hierarchy. The training at the firm is very good for passing professional qualifications, which also makes the firm highly appealing.

Yes, there was a very good social scene outside of work between the placement colleagues. We met up fairly regularly outside of the office, at least 3 times over the course of the 8 week internship. We also regularly saw each other during the week in the office, and were encouraged by the firm to attend events together and to take on collective projects, including charity projects.

I was living in central Birmingham over the course of the internship and the cost of living there is not massively high. The pay at the firm for the internship was not brilliant, but more than enough to have some money left over to socialise with other members of the firm in the financial district of the city near the office. I went for after work drinks with the other interns and with more senior colleagues fairly regularly, generally at least once a week and managed to not be broke because of this.

The area around where we worked was not necessarily that good for proper nightlife. However, there were a lot of very lovely old pubs in the district, generally serving a decent range of drinks. Around Birmingham centre more broadly the nightlife was of very high quality, there is a decent range of good clubs and bars, and the city centre is very lively at the weekends.

There were a great deal of opportunities to get involved in after work activities, which the firm actively encouraged. There were several staff football teams, as well as cricket and other sporting opportunities. There were also several office-organised events to explore different parts of the city, and at least one office party which I remember over the time I was there. Members of staff were also generally extremely welcoming and I was regularly invited to private events after work.