Summer Scheme Student Review

The internship provided a great insight into life as a graduate at Savills. I was able to work on a variety of tasks for the different teams within the overall department, this gave me a good variety of property related work experience. I was also able to attend site visits where I was able to meet clients and see what projects the company has worked on and is currently working on. I was also able to gain an insight into other departments at Savills, which was really useful and interesting.

The team I was in were really welcoming and I was never afraid to ask for help. They included me in all their meetings and set me tasks that would be useful to the project (I was not there to just make tea!) When setting the task my colleague would give me some background information about the project rather than just setting a task and me not knowing what the outcome was for. The team and I also went out for lunch and drinks a few times and I really got to know my team and I feel we have now become firm friends.

If I didn't understand a task I did not feel that I wasn't able to ask for help. Before each task my supervisor would give me some background information about the site and explain what the possible outcome would be. During the internship I was tasked by the Graduate team to undertake a research project. This project entailed conducting my own analysis on a site and my supervisor gave me excellence guidance and support during this process.

I think I was unfortunate to arrive at a quiet period and so the work load was very variable, some days I would be quite busy while others I would be less so. However, this did mean that I was able to conduct work for different teams which gave me a wider understanding and insight into other departments. On the days when it was less busy I had my research project to be getting on with so I was never stuck with nothing to do. The graduate team had also organised departmental overviews where a member of each department would give a short presentation on the work that they do and this also kept me quite busy.

I was set many tasks where my work would be used. Once set a task I was given sole responsibility, I was never watching someone else complete tasks, but afterwards I would discuss my findings with my mentor or supervisor. For example I was often tasked with conducting comparable evidence and writing parts of a valuation report which would be set out to the client once complete. Another example, I was given the responsibility of finding out whether a site had a water supply or not and it was my duty to phone the local water company to discuss.

The experience I gained on the internship has been extremely useful for my degree and my career. Hearing and using the property language and learning what the terms meant has been very useful. Some of the task which I completed or worked on with others and the skills I learnt will be very valuable for my degree and future career, for example I learnt how to conduct an appraisal using the appraisal software, understood how to conduct cash flow models, learnt the methods of valuation and completed some valuations. As well as these skills I also improved on interpersonal skills such as communication and team work - all useful for both academic studies and working life.

The atmosphere was fun and friendly and it felt like being part of a family. If you went to go and make a cup of tea and someone else was in the kitchen, they didn't ignore you, they would at hello and ask you questions - you never felt like you were a temporary employee. I also had the opportunity to visit another office for a wider department meeting where I got to meet another intern and we could chat about our experiences. The office was sometimes quiet but this never seemed to bother me too much, there was always someone to have a chat with.

The placement was very well organised. A week before my start I was sent an email containing all the important information such as who to ask for when I first arrive, what time I should arrive, the dress code etc. On my first day the IT was all ready for me with a username and password. I was also given a welcome pack containing a schedule for the month with all the department overview meetings, appraisal meetings, lunches etc. The graduate team were regularly in touch via email if there was anything we needed to do, for example on what we need to complete before we leave (such as printing payslips etc.).

At the start of the placement I had to set myself 3-5 goals which I wanted to achieve during my internship. I discussed these with my mentor and then at the end of the internship in my appraisal we discussed whether I had achieved these or not. I also had a mid placement review with my mentor where we discussed how I was getting on and whether I was happy with the current workload etc. It would have been good to have had some more personal feedback e.g. what do I need to work on or what was I doing well, as most of my meetings involved discussing if I was happy with the workload and what I was going on to do after the internship.

Savills is a great company to work for and the internship has confirmed this. The benefits that the graduate scheme offer is a strong pull factor to the organisation. As a result of completing the internship I now know the level of support and guidance the company give you and this is extremely appealing. The office atmosphere and the people provide a great place to work and I will definitely be applying for jobs with Savills in the future.

Even though I was in an office outside of London there was still a good social scene. I regularly went for lunch, dinner and drinks with the graduates and senior members of my team and of other teams. One downside is that I was the only intern in my office during this month and it would have been good to have had another intern to chat to.

Food and drink prices in the area were reasonable and what you would expect for a country town. I lived at home so cannot comment on the cost of renting nearby. The office has a staff car park which I was allowed to park in so I didn't have to pay for the public car park - if I did have to park in this carpark I would have been refunded.

The town has many pubs but the nightlife doesn't extend long into the night. I rarely stayed after 9pm as it took me an hour to drive home and most people were beginning to head off then too. Most of the time my team and I went out for lunch as we all had to drive in the evenings.

There are various sporting activities to be involved with, for example there was a charity touch rugby tournament on one of the days I was working. During the summer there are also monthly cricket matches after work where Savills play against their clients. Even if you didn't want to play you could go along to watch and chat with other colleagues. I also went out with the graduates for a few evening meals.