Internship Student. Review

The work suited me and I was encouraged in the areas I enjoyed. My manager was superb and the office was very inclusive. The other interns were great.

I was given actual, important (albeit simple) work to do as part of a project. My manager and fellow employees appreciated the work I did and rewarded me for my efforts.

My manager was very helpful with all aspects of my internship and understood how to get the best possible learning and work out of me. My team-mates were always willing to help if my manager was unavailable.

The learning curve was steep but I felt that was because I wanted it to be so. I never had nothing to do, sometimes very efficient time management was required to fit everything in but this was instructive.

I was given an important but minor role within the team to which I was assigned. I was chaperoned only to the extent that it was required, but nothing I did for the company was not checked.

I learned how to code in C within two weeks, which I am sure will be invaluable in my degree and in my future career. Working office hours in an office atmosphere will also, no doubt, have been very good practice. My manager ensured that any criticism's he had of my working style were clearly presented to me along with helpful suggestions for improvement.

Relaxed but highly productive. Discourse between the company's hierarchy is not discouraged.

Metaswitch have honed their internship after years of experience, and so most problems have been met before. Email correspondence was quick and informative, and the organisation of dates was flexible and efficiently handled.

Metaswitch invested heavily in my training, and there is a general expectation that interns will look for future employment in the company.

There is a sense that most interns are expected to look for future employment at the company, and with new-starters choosing to get involved with the interns it is clear what that employment might entail. Personally, the job does not sound appealing but the reason lies in its nature rather than the company.

The interns banded together fairly frequently at the local pubs and the company open a free tab when new interns arrive so they can meet their colleagues outside the office environment.

The company offered subsidised accommodation. All other costs were typical of a London suburb.

The company (and associated accommodation) is located in a fairly quiet suburb and so the nightlife outside of pubs in non-existent.

There are many active groups interested in most sports within the company that run weekly, free sessions. There are numerous other clubs of various types and these are easy to find and get in contact with.