Sales Review

I had a really fun time and met a bunch of good people. It is a great opportunity to trial the industry, get a feel for the firm and your specific role. Beyond your role, there are opportunities to meet with senior leaders and plenty of wider networking opportunities to find out more about other areas of the business.

I felt that my colleagues valued my opinions and made use of my input. The culture is incredibly supportive so I felt confident enough to share my ideas. Any ideas that I did have, my line manager would always encourage me to pursue them and I was given real responsibility, which in turn made me feel valued as a fellow employee.

I had weekly one to ones with my line manager, as well as a weekly catch up with other members of my team. I would use this opportunity to seek support from my colleagues and share any concerns. Fellow colleagues on the graduate scheme were also incredibly supportive and I felt I could go to them with any ''silly'' questions.

Most days I had a nice balance of having things to do, but not being too busy. However, as the summer tends to be a quieter period, there were some slow days. I tried to take advantage of this opportunity to explore different areas of the business and network with colleagues, setting up coffee meetings or quick catch ups.

Considering I was only with the company for 12 weeks, I was given a significant amount of responsibility during my internship. I was also reporting to a senior director on my projects. I was given ownership of three projects and with guidance, I led this work. The only downside to doing a summer placement is that you don't always get to see this work through to the end.

I developed wide ranging skills throughout my placement, as well as developing as an individual. I grew in confidence, as well as developing analytical skills, networking skills and professionalism. All the skills that I learnt are easily transferable to any future job or career path that I choose to take.

As I was based in the global headquarters, the office is fast paced and exciting, with the general leadership team, including the CEO, being based there. The office is very open plan and uses a system of ''hot desking'' meaning that you could be sat to someone new each day. The office is always very buzzy and overall the atmosphere was friendly and exciting.

Overall, it is a well organised programme, however, it would have been good to get more information in the run up to the programme- I found out my location one month before starting. At the beginning of the placement, goals are set with your line manager, and these are tracked throughout to see how well you are progressing. There is a well established system to judge who will be fast tracked to the graduate programme. At the end of the placement, there is a formal review with your line manager to review your work, where you can find out your strengths and weaknesses.

There was to an extent some training, such as IT training, however, it would have been good to have more.

There is the opportunity to be fast tracked onto the graduate programme after the placement, however you still have to attend an assessment centre.

There was a good social scene amongst fellow placement students. We met for lunch most days and tried to do drinks after worked on a weekly basis. Many of the placement students live together so that creates close bonds. Within in my work team, there was also some socialising, with Christmas dinners and lunches when it was someone's birthday.

As I was based in London, the cost of living and socialising was very high. The cost of renting in London is very expensive and there is no increase in wage for interns based in London. Over half of my salary went on rent. Also the cost of travel is high, I was spending around £200 per month on travel. Furthermore, eating out and drinking is also very expensive. Overall, London is a very expensive city!

There were many pubs and bars nearby. Being based at Blackfriars, it is a very buzzy area and lots of bars offer 'happy hour' deals after work. There are lots of nice bars with roof terraces which are nice for drinks in the summer. Also it is very easy to get to different areas of London to experience different kinds of nightlife.

There are many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. Activities include; sports teams, free gym classes, yoga, self defence, bands, choirs and running clubs. There is also the opportunity to get involved in charity and community events. Personally, I got involved with a local food bank every Tuesday night with colleagues and volunteered for ''Dove Day'', which I went into a local school to speak to pupils about body confidence and self esteem.