Commerical Analyst Review

The placement is run extremely well and individuals are given a lot of responsibility. Free accommodation was also provided, which created a really nice social life for all the summer interns. Also, the team that I worked were very friendly and keen to help me, whenever I was stuck on a problem.

My colleagues ensured that I had a lot to do. The amount of responsibility really showed that they were willing to listen to what I had to say. However, due to the team being a start-up, they were often quite busy, which meant that I would sometimes be left to my own devices. On the plus side, this drastically improved my self-discipline.

My manager was very keen to help. In fact, I think I would struggle to find as good a manager as him. The problem lay with my role; because I was testing out a new software, I was the only one who understood it's capabilities, which meant that I often had to figure it out myself.

This was down to my project. Despite having a big role, my attention was solely focussed on one project. This meant that I wouldn't always be busy. I think though, this is down to luck, where ever you go. I feel there is always something to do, especially when you're an intern and you're constantly trying to develop new skills

I was tasked with testing an expensive piece of software, that could potentially increase the efficiency of the company and increase revenue. For the most part, I was working on my own and attempting to gain an understanding of how the programming platform worked, and the pros and cons.

In terms of my degree, it mainly improved my work ethics. However, I also found that my self-discipline was greatly improved. My excel skills were the biggest improvement by far. I went from knowing nothing about excel to plugging in advanced excel functions. This was one of the huge advantages of my placement

The atmosphere in the office fluctuates. However, I was lucky to have a great team where we knew how to work hard and do what we needed to do, but also have a good time and have a laugh. Centrica is a brilliant place to work, if you like a "work-to-live" environment.

The placement was very well organised. In fact, interns were given the opportunity to swap streams mid-way through the placement, if they weren't happy. They also had two employees whose sole purpose was to ensure interns were happy with their roles. I do know of one intern, who had to switch from place to place, 3 times.

In the first week, my boss asked me what skills I wanted to develop, and the objectives of my placement were based on this. Excel training sessions were offered to everyone and teams were happy to help if you were struggling. I think it is really vital, for your own development, to some times figure things out on your own

As much as I am interested in the energy market and what Centrica do, this is my first placement and I would like to gain experience elsewhere, before I make any crucial decisions. I do think Centrica is definitely a viable option though, and that if you are lucky enough to do an internship there, that you fully consider it.

We lived together and it was just like being at university, except everyone was hungry to work and do well on the placement. I have made some really good friends and I think living together was great fun. For some people it can be really daunting, starting a job, so it was good to be living with people in the same position as you.

Free accommodation. The food was just like anywhere else, except at the office, where the food was subsidised and incredibly good. we were also paid reasonably well, so paying for food wasn't too much of a problem. I was fortunate to live near home as well, which meant that I could sponge off my parents whenever I needed to.

Egham wasn't great for nightlife, however, we were really close to London, Windsor and Reading so nights out were always decent. There definitely wasn't an issue with having a good time. I think it is better to be in an area that is fairly quiet, but five minutes on the train and you are surrounded by clubs.

Unfortunately, Centrica didn't have any sports teams, but the interns tended to group up and play sports at our free accommodation. In terms of through Centrica, there aren't any activities occurring outside of the office, but within Centrica, there are often table tennis competitions and snooker tournaments. It's a really good atmosphere.