summer scheme student Review

I really enjoyed by time at the Reading Savills office. Throughout my stay, starting on 4th June to 29th June I was exposed to many aspects that I could expect to be re-exposed to as a Savills graduate. I was able to attend multiple site visits throughout my internship, this allowed me to both meet clients and to expand my personal network.

I felt very valued throughout my internship. Not just by the Thames Water Estates team wear I was sat for the month; but my the entire office. Everybody from graduates to directors were extremely welcoming and encouraged me to get the most out of the internship by asking plenty of questions and speaking to as many people as possible.

As mentioned in the above question, everyone within the Reading office was very supportive and gave consistent guidance which has helped me to develop my existing knowledge from the University of Reading. My supervisor, [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] has been brilliant. I will be sure to stay in touch with him and may very well ask for his advice within the near future.

I never found myself sat around looking for something to do whilst on my internship. I always had a task of a job to be working towards. My main task that I was assigned to for my internship was a land registration project which had been hanging over the office for a while now. I have completed most of the task, allowing for the next intern, [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] to come in and finish the job.

I was given more responsibility than I could imagine on the internship. Not only did I have my own independent task of land registration. I also drafted my first every heads of terms, which I then had checked by one of the grads. Further showing the support and attention to detail that Savills has.

As mentioned earlier all the tasks that I have been assigned to do whilst on my internship are relevant to my studies of real estate at the University of Reading. In particular I now have a depth of knowledge within the field of land registration, I feel this will give me an edge over my university peers when it comes to applying for jobs next academic year.

The atmosphere within the office was a perfect balance of professional and light-hearted. Everyone in the Reading office conducted themselves well and all were capable of 'having a laugh' at the same time. It was an enjoyable environment to spend a month in, and I hope what ever firm I work for in the future has a similar feel to this one.

The whole process from the first stage of applying was very well organised. When I arrived at the office I was greeted with a welcoming pack as well as being given a schedule of activities and departmental overviews. This was helpful in allowing me to manage my time effectively and plan ahead of time.

Savills have invested a significant amount of time, money and energy into their summer scheme and I believe this will pay dividends for them in the long run. I have not received this level of training on any previous work experience that I have completed. This would explain the Graduate recruiter of the year award from Times for the last 12 years.

I hope to receive a job offer from Savills in the near future. I believe that they are in one of the strongest positions to train and guide me towards becoming a fully qualified charted surveyor. From doing the summer scheme and seeing what life would be like as a grad, I will certainly be applying for a job next year.

The first social scene I was exposed to on the internship was the Savills boat party that happens once a year. This was early on in the scheme which was perfect for me as it allowed me to talk to a variety of employees from different teams in a relaxing environment. Savills also paid £80 towards some drinks for the team that I was placed in.

I lived in my university student house which was super convenient for me as I only have the house till the end of the month. I drove to the office from my house as its a 35 minute walk which I did a few times, but isn't the most appealing thing at 7:30am. The cost of parking was £9.40 per day in the car park opposite the office. However the experience was well worth the small cost of parking.

The nightlife in Reading during term time is pretty good as all the students are about. However because its the summer they have all gone home. Park bar still remained open. So a mate and I went there a couple of times over the month. This enabled me to keep a good work & social life balance.

Yes as I mentioned previously the main example that I can give from my short stay at the Reading office is the boat party. This was a fun occasion and there was plenty of great views whilst on the river to take some photos of. It was also a great networking opportunity.