Real Estate Analyst Review

Working in MSD gives you a sense of experiencing what the working culture is like and allows me to put what I have learned in law from the theory perspective to consolidating it in practice. I have met many colleagues who eventually became friends that I could trust and spend quality time with during as well as out of work hours. It is an experience that will prepare you for life after uni.

The moment you step into MSD, you will feel a sense of value and as well as an appreciation by your colleagues. You will not sense the atmosphere of being in a hierarchy environment. Your managers and directors are just like colleagues who will offer their support. The colleagues are not afraid to praise you for a job well done or even reward you by bringing you out for a lunch meal. I definitely felt appreciated and valued for the hardwork that I've put into my projects.

You will be given tasks and responsibilities but it is a well-balanced environment. Due to the workload, the company is very flexible with how we were to manage our time accordingly. For example, during lunch breaks, I will eat on my desk and multitask by doing my work on the laptop, The moment I feel that productivity level has decreased, I will head down to the fitness centre which is available in our office to refresh my thoughts and come back to being more productive as ever!

I would give this an 8/10 because the 2 refers to the times when we are all so focused that seriousness, productivity and focus would overtrump fun to get the work done. My colleagues will drop by my desk once a while to ask "how was my weekend", just a simple chat to show their concern for their peers. We also have a food jar where we all bring sweets and snacks to share with the team. We are planning to install a mini-basketball hoop on the wall but that is still on its way!

Very well organised. The HR team has organised couple of team working events as well as lunch for the students to mingle and build relationships with one another. At the end of the mid-term as well as end of the placement term, the students are required to do a presentation. The initial topic was "What have I learned in MSD" and the second was "My proudest moment in MSD". Both these presentations gave the students opportunity to build up confidence for public speaking and to communicate our roles and responsibility and highlight our achievements that we are so focused and motivated about.

The company organised trips to our manufacturing sites for us to understand the business as a whole. We also have programmes that you can enrol to for career development across the globe just to gain experience. Also, we have training tools on our company web page that allows you to enrol yourself on online courses with appropriate training through videos. Not just mental training, MSD focuses on physical training and development as well! There is a gym instructor on the site that the members can benefit from group fitness classes to 1 on 1 personal training. Do not be intimidated if you see employees who are buff around the site, we are absolutely friendly in our hearts!

This question depends on your commitment to your work with the combination of how well your relationship is within your department. It's all about communication. If you are willing to sacrifice and contribute hard work and talent, the company will definitely be able to recognise you and reward you in return with a fulfilling job that enables you to be valued within the team. Who would want to let go of good talents?

Yes. I was part of this, we often organise short-getaways during the bank holidays to Europe countries and have an amazing time together. Being an international student, far away from home, you tend to suffer from homesickness when you are working abroad. But the colleagues / placement students will be your family. We have attended Indie concerts in Cambridge together, travel to Stockholm, Dublin, Amsterdam etc to explore and learn more about the culture of different countries and most importantly spend some quality time together as a team!

Rent is expensive. Average 500£ a month but food is cheaper compared to London. There are many supermarkets here for you to do your shopping. There is Morrisons, Lidl, Aldi, Tesco and Iceland. Not to forget Sainsbury! So comparing prices for groceries and choosing the right supermarket will be cost saving for you. Taxi around Hoddesdon is roughly around 6-8 £. But if you have a car or bicycle, the only worrying part will be the rent.

The nightlife is average here in Hoddesdon. The good side is that it is only 30 minutes by train from central London. Therefore, you can always plan a night out in London and just remember to catch the last train back and you will be fine! Working in MSD has its perks where all the placement students live near each other and therefore organising a simple get together at one of their houses will be easy and not forget fun!! When I first started, they organised bake off nights to have some snacks and watch TV. There is a nearby town called Hertford which is 8mins drive away where there is a club called Stonehouse.

Yes. Plenty of opportunities. I am a big fan of basketball and there are a basketball clubs that organises friendly games in Ware and Harlow Sports Centre. Look it up! On Wednesdays, MSD has a badminton club where colleagues will gather after work and play badminton. On Monday and Thursdays, it will be football nights. If you are a Christian and looking for a church to settle down in the area, Riverside Hoddesdon is a nice and friendly church for students who would want to attend Sunday service and get involved in the church.