Assistant customer product and propositions manager Review

I really enjoyed my placement, working in a start up in central London is something that I really wanted to do but did not expect with Centrica. I really enjoyed the pace of change at the office and how fast-paced it was, even through my time there the business moved forward, with its national launch and adding new services. I also really liked that the work I did made an impact, it wasn't 'typical intern work' that didn't make a difference, my work was taken seriously by management and added value to the business.

In such a small office of only 30 people, it was easy to mix with various people from different teams. Everyone I worked with and talked to were really friendly, and were happy to give up their time to talk or help me with my work. When my colleagues told me that what I did had made a difference to them it also made me feel valued

My manager let me be pretty independent with my work which was good for my development. Although if I needed support, I knew I could go to him for help and he was very happy to give guidance and feedback. We had meetings to discuss ways I could improve and he would always ask how I'm getting on with my work and if I needed any help.

Some days I was very busy and had to stay late in order to complete my work as I had a lot of tasks on at one time, other days especially at the start of the placement I did not have as much to do. Then I filled my time talking to people from different departments to learn more about the business.

A large amount of responsibility, I was very independent with my tasks and so it was my responsibility to ensure they were completed within the given time frame. The tasks I was given were tasks that management needed doing but did not have time to do themselves hence were large tasks to be responsible for.

Skills in copy writing were very useful to develop as well as tone of voice training which will assist me in my marketing degree. I also learnt how to use software such as Trello and Wordpress which are also useful in marketing careers. Softer skills like business communication, team work, organisation and commercial awareness will also be highly useful beyond my degree studies.

The general atmosphere was really great as the office where I work. It was only a small office so it was a friendly atmosphere where you felt like you could talk to anyone. As it was a start up it was a really fun atmosphere, very relaxed and casual compared to the other Centrica offices. We had nerf guns, drones and indoor golf which made the atmosphere really different to what I was expecting.

It was quite well organised, there was lots of information and contacts before I went, although it would have been nice to know a bit more about what my role would entail a bit sooner before I arrived. On the placement our Graduate Talent Manager who was in the graduate scheme was very useful in organising meetings and introduction days to other parts of the business.

The company placed a large value on my development and training and that was clear from the start. There was a huge emphasis on the importance of developing over the summer which we documented in the 'My performance document' to show exactly how we have developed and in which specific skills.

Since I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working at Local Heroes and Centrica, future employment within the organisation is very appealing. From this placement I know that I would fit in well at Centrica and am aiming to get a place on the graduate program for 2018. All the graduates on the program that I have spoken to have really enjoyed the experience which has also encouraged me to apply.

Yes it was very social in my flat with the other summer placement students, we went out together a lot and spent lots of time socialising in the common areas and on day trips out on the weekends. In my office I was only with one other summer placement student unlike others who had many in their offices, but the social scene with colleagues was also very good that this wasn't an issue.

The cost of living was covered by Centrica which was a huge bonus to this placement. As I was working in central London the cost of socialising was considerably higher for me than for other students. Also Windsor the clubs and bars were quite high in terms of price, but we also found cheaper days out the cost very little such as walking around towns and parks.

London nightlife was of course very good being so central, if a bit more expensive. Egham where the accommodation was however non existent, but we got taxis to nearby towns such as Windsor. Windsor had a few okay nightclubs but these were quite expensive. Although, as everyone on the summer placement got on so well we found we had good nights out anyway.

Yes there were, such as volunteering was a large part of the scheme and getting involved with races and working in charity shops outside of the office. We were also invited to events outside of work by colleagues which were fun to get involved in, as well as being invited out by the graduate program students as well.