Assistant Project Manager Review

I really enjoyed my internship in general. Mace has a well defined structure to their internship that makes you feel like a part of the company even one week into the internship, which is always positive. I felt like my work was valuable to both my line manager and myself, as it was invaluable experience for the future.

Because of the nature of the office (all desks are hot desks), you always sat next to different people. Everyone at Mace seemed welcoming and always willing to help when I needed it. My work was always greatly valued. Whenever I submitted a report, I always received an email from my line manager saying “good job”, which was very encouraging.

On the first day we had an induction day that was very helpful because we were given information on every aspect of the company, including who to go to if we were ever lost. In any case, everyone at the office, including the directors, was willing to help if you asked. My line manager was always available either by Skype or on the phone, and otherwise she would call me back as soon as she could.

I was very busy towards the beginning of my internship, as I was allocated a project that had a lot of urgency. Once the pre-construction procedures were over with, things started to calm down. Nevertheless, my line manager always took me with her to meetings and important calls so that I could experience them first hand, even if I did not take minutes.

I felt like I had a lot of responsibility in my internship, as I was given the task of producing a feasibility study, a final business case and the tender documents for a project, even if I had never done it before. The trust that was set on me gave me the motivation to produce something of high quality and with which I was very pleased.

My degree is Civil Engineering, which in general has little to do with Project Management. I met people from very different degrees, far from the construction world. However, as a Project Manager you develop important life skills, including communication, teamwork and managing expectations of the clients and other parties. Although Project Management is not as technical as my degree, it will help me perform better in the future.

The general atmosphere at the office was very amicable. I had a great relationship with my line manager and her line manager and sometimes we would even go for a coffee in the morning. I did not feel too pressured to finish my work or stay later than anyone else, which is good as this was my first job. The social committee planned many events, as well.

I was glad to see that the internship was very well organized. On the first day, we had an induction day where all the summer and year placements got together. Different Mace employees gave a presentation on their job or disciplines. We were also given some time to get to know each other. We had regular check-ins with the Human Resources team and our line managers, so you could always tell them if you wanted to change something or more experience in a certain area.

There was a lot of mandatory training we had to do, especially in my two first weeks at Mace. Although some were a little dull, others were very interesting and I actually learned a lot, specifically one (not mandatory) where I learned many functions of Excel I had not learned before. It is great that Mace invests so much time and money into you. I also was given guidance on obtaining a chartership.

On my ninth week (10 week long internship), all of the summer placement students regrouped and we had an “End of Placement” event where we were given guidance of future opportunities at Mace. There are different options, but what was clear is that they did want every one of us back as graduates or placement students. I would come back, as I had a great time at the company this summer.

Most summer interns went out every Thursday or Friday (or both). Everyone was very friendly and willing to go out an socialize. However, I did feel like there was huge pressure to go out and drink, even when I did not feel like it, so that put me off. Nevertheless, at the office everyone was nice.

Living and going out in London is quite expensive, especially if you are not used to its prices. Most people commuted into London from further away or nearby cities like Oxford or Guildford. The canteen at Mace is subsidized so, if you do not want to bring lunch, you can always eat there for great price and quality.