This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I really enjoyed my placement. From the first day I felt very welcome in the company and everyone was very happy to help out in getting me started. I was able to work on important projects and do work that tested my abilities without feeling overwhelmed by any pressure from senior staff.
Very rarely did I feel like anyone just thought of me as an Intern. Obviously this was my first experience working for such a large organisation however everyone was happy to answer any questions I had. I felt valued by my colleagues and felt like I was part of the organisation, not just someone who had joined only for a year.
Support was always available whenever I needed it. During my time at Atos I never felt I could not ask a question or give my opinion, it was a very open culture. Even very senior members of staff are open and accessible, in such a large organisation this is a really nice feature.
As with any internship it takes time to learn and get started, you can't be expecting to be carrying out important work from day 1. That being said I very rarely felt like I had nothing to do. My manager was always on hand to help me get involved with other work, and applying for roles in the GIA committee also helped keep me busy.
In my role I was supporting multi-million pound bids. I felt like I was given a lot of responsibility and the work I was doing was important to the organisation. Originally my manager would assist in any large pieces of work, however over time he trusted me to produce a high-quality report on my own, it was nice to be trusted with this responsibility
The year in industry gave me a completely new insight into the world of work. I have learnt a lot about how a large organisation works and how everyone works together. In my specific role I have been able to learn a lot about the market and various competitors which I am sure will benefit me in the future.
The Company
The general atmosphere was a calm and encouraging environment to work. The office is hot desking meaning anyone can sit anywhere. I really liked this as it gave me a chance to meet people I would not have met otherwise. The dress code is smart-casual which is also encourages a relaxed but professional atmosphere
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
Company Car
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
International Travel
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Above 25 days holiday
Working from home
Healthcare from home
Healthcare/Dental
Travel loan
I would really like to come back to the organisation and am hoping I will receive an offer to return as a graduate. I think the company is a great place to start a career with plenty of opportunity to progress. I would recommend anyone to apply to the organisation, there are roles available to suit practically anyone.
The Culture
I was based in London. I was lucky as there was a great social scene with plenty of interns and grads all coming together to arrange events. I have however spoken to others who were based in other locations and have been told they had a very poor social scene. This has been made aware with the HR and they are trying to improve this.
Based in London as expected it was very expensive for living and socialising. Support however is provided including a relocation allowance. I knew going into the year I wanted to make the most of it and the opportunities that London had to offer, for a year it was acceptable, however at that salary it is definitely not sustainable for any longer.
Being based in London there was always something to do. The nightlife was good with plenty of options available. Obviously being London it wasn't always cheap and on an intern salary it was sometimes difficult to make ends meet. Overall if you are able to budget well and have a little savings it is a really enjoyable experience.
Atos offered plenty of opportunities to get involved. Being part of the marketing team I was able to get involved with many events and sit in which was really interesting. I was able to join the GIA committee which meant i was able to help with the interns and carry out a peer shadowing scheme.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
London
May 2018