Intern Review

I enjoyed my placement. I really liked living in Oxford. I liked my team. I liked the job that I was doing.

I got on really well with my team which made work more enjoyable. They were easy to talk to about work but also other things. I had many opportunities to do different tasks and felt I had a lot of responsibility which made me feel valued. We engaged in social activities outside of work, as well as going to lunch together on a regular basis. We would also have regular team meetings where everyone, including myself could offer input.

At first I struggled and felt rather 'thrown in the deep end' but this probably helped me to learn quicker and be a stronger worker in the long run.

I was very busy on a daily basis. However this did vary drastically at different points in the year. In some months I was insanely busy but it did quieten down a lot nearing the end of my placement. This was the nature of the work though and was the same for the rest of the team in general also.

I felt like I had a lot of responsibility during my placement. In general I was doing the same role and the other employees in my team which was good as it meant I could gain a real insight into what working in the team would be like if I was to return on a more permanent basis.

My placement was not that relevant to my degree and I would not say that I picked up many skills that will assist me in my modules next year. However, in terms of helping me develop my skills for the future and for future careers it was very helpful. It was good to see what an office job and the working culture is like. It helped me develop my communication skills in a prefessional setting.

My team generally got on well with each other which made the atmosphere enjoyable during the working day and also made work pretty fun. There was an overall sociable attitude amongst the office. The office I was in consisted of other teams also and it was a bit divided between the different teams which was a shame.

Maybe but not as many opporunities for graduates.

There are so many placement students (approx. 70+) within the company that the scoial scene amonst the students is great. Every Thursday the interns go to a different pub in Oxford which is great because it also means you get to know Oxford well. You have the opportunity to meet so many people and make good friends. Interns will regularly go on weekend trips together or other events which is made possible by the car scheme which allows interns to hire out cars for the weekend.

Oxford is a very expensive area to live in but the wage from your internship is enough to cover that (within reason). Cowley itself (where the plant is) is cheaper and good for finding house shares. Socialising is also at the higher price end but as long as you're careful with your wage then there's no reason why you should struggle.

Oxford doesn't have the most amazing clubs but it is a lot of fun for a night out. There is quite a good student life in Oxford so there are plenty of places to go for drinks and for a boogie.

There are loads of opportunitites to get involved in activities outside of work. Oxford is a small city but there's still plenty going on. Especially with the intern culture, there are always people to do things with.