Associate Review

My placement was a great chance to see the ins and outs of business. I worked in a high responsibility, client facing role where I was given the chance to demonstrate and build on my abilities throughout the course of the year. I really enjoyed my placement and would strongly recommend the programme.

I was given wide support by the members in my team as well as the wider firm. As time went on I gained confidence and was able to take on greater responsibility, and with the support of those in my team I was able to continuously improve my overall skill set.

My people manager would largely oversee my development and ensure that I was going to workshops to aid my progress. This was a different role to my managers I had on tasks, which would vary depending on the project. I found all managers to be very helpful and have an active interest in my development.

My workload varied on a day to day basis. Due to the line of work I was in, it would largely be very busy in the department but there were some short periods of downtime. My usual work would be for different client projects but when less busy I would pick up business development work.

At the outset, my responsibilities were fairly limited as I was still adapting to working life and the processes/operations of the business. As time went on, I found that I picked up more responsibility which was great for my development as it gave me more opportunities to learn. By the end of my placement I was a sole point of contact for some client relationships.

I received a lot of support from the business in terms of receiving useful skills for my degree. A confidence in presenting workshop in particular has improved my presenting skills which will be vital for my degree. I have also improved my time management capabilities which will allow me to be more organised upon my return to university.

The office is very and friendly and quite relaxed. There will be times when it is quieter than others (such as when people are on away jobs) but everyone who is in is always very approachable. We will often go for drinks as a team which creates great relations inside of the team and provides an opportunity to unwind.

The placement was well organised from the HR department, organising many events and workshops for placement students throughout the year. The process for applying onto the grad scheme was also very good as it was not a highly intense process, but instead a more informal discussion about the work that I had undertaken over the year/how I had developed.

The firm offers many different workshops that can be taken up by any individual within the firm - this was beneficial as I took up several workshops that was with people from different levels, across different service lines, who had come from offices all over the country. Everyone in my team was also very encouraging towards aiding my development and would support me if I had any problems,

I think every opportunity is offered to placement students who are working with the firm. For the business its a great chance to spend a year looking at an individual, understanding their strengths and weaknesses, which is all taken into account at the end of the year. Placement students undertake a motivational interview and give a presentation of their year at the firm which is a very smooth process.

The social scene is very active in the firm. Thursday/Friday nights will always have people around going for a drink and is often a great way to meet more people from other parts of the firm. People from all levels are very friendly and its great to chat to people of different ages/backgrounds.

It is very expensive to live and work in London. However, the salary at GT for a placement year is above the average so it provides a bit more lee-way in terms of spending money. It is important to recognise that the premium you pay to live & socialise in London comes with the benefit of being in a vibrant city with lots to do.

Working in London, the nightlife was great. There are a variety of places across London to go to, but more specifically within the city of London the pub/bar scene was very active. The only criticism I would have after coming from uni was the high prices in London, but I think you have to expect that in any major city!