Propositions Analyst Review

I have really enjoyed my placement at Centrica. Throughout the whole process I have felt guided and cared for, and the company have consistently demonstrated they are highly willing to invest in their internships schemes. They have always sought feedback on ways to improve and have provided ample opportunities to grow professionally. Their work/life balance is excellent, their staff environment is friendly and supportive. I have felt I have had true responsibility from the start and have always been supported in my personal learning and growth.

My colleagues have been excellent; they have always made me feel valued and appreciated. At times, the demands of their roles has taken priority, but I have felt the best opportunities rise from trying to care for other colleagues in their work during such times. Likewise, after networking, there are many colleagues who will do the same.

My supervisors have always stressed that they are there to help at any point. They have also always sought for feedback on how they are performing as a manager. They have broken down barriers to make co-operation an easy and habitual aspect of work. Only one area of improvement would be for a greater induction process to happen throughout an entire team (something that will be introduced and I have worked on introducing). If managers had a checklist of things to induct new starters, the beginning of the internship may not have been such a learning curve. It also helps speeds up my productivity if I know the basics of work from day 1.

I always had work to complete, on projects that were clearly outlined and described. There is an aspect of juggling of tasks, but this helped me develop skills and gain the most out of my placement.

I was given true responsibility from day the get go when my projects and objectives were outlined. There were several opportunities for me to make contributions that would genuinely change the way the offices worked, for the better, and my contributions in analysis were incorporated into the overall strategy of my team.

The skills I have learned will be invaluable. My familiarity with new PC tools is the most obvious development, but more importantly I learned how to behave and make the most of an office-environment. Networking and chairing meetings have built my charisma and presentation skills, and I have been encouraged to be agile in the tasks I am faced with.

Friendly, relaxed, quietly determined, and comfortable.

The consistency of the experiences on the internships could be made better if there was a more clearly defined structure to who oversees interns, and there could be improvements to the buddy system to make relationships more engaging. But on the whole, the internship structure was clearly defined.

Several sessions were run over the course of the internship to better improve our tech skills, from offices tools to coding. There were also other training and onboarding modules and sessions that developed interns.

I would be very interested in future employment prospects. I have felt my experience on the whole has convinced me that I would be happy in a future role.

Other interns were great people, and I definitely feel I have made long-term friends. Living together was a great experience and on the whole, people were very sociable, whether for weekend drinks or trips to festivals.

Accommodation was completely covered. There was no essential need to regularly travel into central London, but when this was necessary, expenses were covered completely. I had more than enough finances to enjoy myself but also safe a substantial proportion of my wages.

Specifically nightlife, Staines and Egham are rather quiet. London has, obviously, much to offer, but it is very expensive and laborious to travel to for a single night out. The next best option is Windsor, but prices are steep (including entry and taxis), and the selection of clubs is very small (only 2 I believe). There are bars on offer, but drinks are usually very expensive.

You are very busy the whole placement. Outside work, there are constantly social opportunities with other interns, and at times it can be exhausting, though it is always fun. Often, it is a task of not doing too much that is the most difficult to achieve.