Marketing summer placement - Digital Adoption Review

I enjoyed my placement with Centrica in terms of both the work and the provision of accommodation with the other interns. Centrica place all the interns in accommodation together for this internship which allows everyone to make friends and gain more from the placement than just work. The role I was given was interesting and allowed me to develop a number of skills. The internship not only included work but Centrica also provided an induction day and development day which included activities such as rock climbing and team working tasks.

I felt valued by my colleagues who took time to meet with me regularly and help me drive forward any projects I needed help with. The role I was given allowed me to work with a number of different stakeholders who each took the time to meet with me and help me develop. The work I was given also made a difference to the team I was in which made me feel valued.

My manager was very supportive throughout my placement as he met with me regularly to discuss the progression of my work and see if there were any other development opportunities I wanted to follow. Alongside our regular meetings we attended workshops together and worked closely on a number of projects.

I was fairly busy on a daily basis but was easily able to work within the 9-5 schedule. I often had a number of different meetings each day and different tasks which needed to be completed. However, Centrica is a great place to work in order to achieve a work/life balance as they are very understanding about flexible working hours.

I was given a good amount of responsibility throughout my placement as I took on a self starter role within a small, new team. I was able to think creatively to come up with projects I felt would help the business and I then pushed these projects forward in the channels I thought best.

The skills I developed throughout my internship are not specifically going to help me with the completion of my degree. They are, however, highly useful and valuable skills for me to take forward. Through development opportunities and my daily work I was able to improve core skills such as communication, networking and self management.

The general atmosphere of my office was a good balance of chatting and working. Centrica has a very relaxed and inclusive atmosphere to work in. There is a big push throughout centrica towards collaborative working which creates a team work atmosphere where people work in cross-departmental teams to complete projects.

The internship was really well organised from the interview stages right through to the final presentations. Each intern was kept updated regularly on what was to come. At the start of the placement we had an induction day to give us all the information necessary and we then received weekly email updates.

The company invested significantly in my personal development through regular review meetings with my manager, presentation training and activities such as the development day.

Unknown until end of placement whether I will get a graduate placement.

There was a great social scene amongst all the interns which made the internship much more enjoyable than others I have done in the past. All interns are placed in accommodation together which means you become close friends as you are able to socialise together in the evening and on weekends.

Being based in Staines made socialising as expensive as you would expect for an area so close to London. However, as the accommodation is paid for and provided by centrica and you receive a wage from the internship, this makes the cost of living very low and so people can easily go out socialising.

The standard of nightlife varied dependant on where you travelled to as most people did not go into Egham to socialise. Staines had some bars and restaurants whereas Windsor has some nightclubs that the interns would go to over the weekend. If people wanted better nightlife however they could take the trip into London for the night.

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