HR Summer Intern Review

I really enjoyed my internship. I was based in HR and given a real sense of responsibility. I was assigned big projects and got to be included in work that line managers do. There was also a lot outside of work to get involved in such as a charity challenge, engineer days out and call centre visits. Overall it was a great opportunity to immerse myslef in the business and get a real feel for corporate HR.

I felt really valued by my colleagues. We all got along very well and bonded quickly due to the small size of the team. They included me in things from the get go and always hel,ped me when i needed it. They also encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone which reassured me that they cared about my performance and developent.

I was given just the right amount of support by my line manager. She certainly did not baby me or micromanage me but was always there when i needed help. She supported my projects by giving me lots of advice and feedback. However, she ultimately gave me free reign on my projects, something which i have never had before and believe has developed my self management significantly.

Most days i was incredibly busy. The first 2 weeks I did not have a lot to do and was worried that this would be the same for the whole placement. However, apparently it is custom for your first couple of weeks to not be too busy. After them 2 weeks, I was constantly busy and when i was not i was creating tasks for myself.

A lot!! I was given the responsibility to advise line managers, which was scary but great and I couldn't believe i was given the responsibility to do so - but it was great! I was supported through it when i was unsure. I was also the only one working on my project so was given full autonomy over it. This was great as it allowed me to work in my own way and manage my own time.

As a HR/Employment Law student, the skills and training i receieved will really benefit my future. I now have a much broader overview of HR and the skills needed. I can now contrast this with the theory involved at university. Additionally, I am now a much more confident individual who can work better in teams than ever before. I hope to go back to university being a more confident presenter and a more knowledgable student.

Being in the corporate headquarters in Windsor, the office had a serious vibe. Everybody is relatively quiet, but there are times where people will joke around and have banter. It is an environment where you can get on with your work. However, other offices i visited such as connected home/Leicester/Manchester were very relaxed and this was reflected in their dress code/layout.

Overall, the placement was set up amazingly! The process went smoothly and you were really taken care of. Having a dedicated grad team to contact before and during the placement is really beneficial and you get to know them very well, which makes it a lot easier to raise any concerns. The accomodation move in was smooth, as was the induction and any development days.

I think Centrica really invest in you. I was very impressed at the amount of opportunities available and how much you are encouraged to get involved with them. From team building days, engineer visits. I even travelled to Manchester, Leicester, Edinburgh, Staines & London. All of which let me see different sides of the company, developing me to adapt quicker to new environments..

I would love the opportunity to come back to Centrica on the graduate scheme. It is set up just as well and the support network on it seems to be great. I enjoy the way Centrica operate and believe that they look after their staff, emsuring they have a planned out career path.

The social scene wasn't great. Many people went home at the weekends or didn't want to go out. However, there were a small group of us who went to gym classes together and did things on the weekend. The social events definitely increased towards the end of the placement.

Living in Windsor is very expensive, and made going on nights out impossible for some. However, the accomodation being paid for definitely relieved financial stress for me and i found that if you did some research you could find some reasonable places to drink and eat.

Again, there are not many clubs in Windsor. You'd have to go into London for a big nightout and then you struggle to get back to Egham (where the accomodation is). However, with only having Friday and Saturday nights free, this was not as big issue.

Within HR, there weren't many out of work activities or socials with the grads or summer placement students. I did get involved with other streams activities though, which was fun!