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
The internship was informative and enjoyable. The 8 week time was well organized and set out, with work and training sessions evenly spread out. I believe WTW used to run all the training sessions before settling everyone into their teams, but I think the new setup is more enjoyable and helps us take in and digest the information. The team was lovely, I had fun getting to know everyone.
I felt valued by my colleagues as I was trusted with responsibilities and to complete work independently to a high standard. My questions were heard and answered. I would also discuss my ideas about projects with other team members. We were also always invited to team activities and social events.
The work can be challenging as there's a steep learning curve. Support was always there and someone will be available to answer any questions you have. The line manager also checks in often to make sure work is going well and there's a suitable workload. So in that sense we were well supported. A potential suggestion could be to be have better structured guidance, for example more documentation/written reference and a better overview of the task as opposed to verbal communications as questions arise.
Overall, there's a good workload and balance between various client project work, intern work and training activities. Once the projects are in full swing there were plenty to do, but there was a period of time around the beginning of the internship where I had less work than desired. However I do understand it is hard to exactly foresee project timelines and predict when work come in so it's certainty understandable and acceptable.
I was very happy with the amount of responsibility I was given with. Both of my projects were external, and my work directly contributed to our output. The amount of support provided meant I was comfortable and confident with the level of responsibility. I worked independently in both projects and was trusted to use my judgment to complete the work.
Even in a short time of 8 weeks I have been able to have exposure to some market leading analysis, which has been great. I have developed some valuable skills in my interested areas, as well as a nice insight into other lines of business. However, because the software WTW uses to during analysis is very user friendly, sometimes it's hard to see the underlying techniques behind the analysis. So it's harder to improve technical knowledge of the maths and methods, and these skillsets may not be transferable if you did not have access to WTW software.
The Company
The London and Reigate office both has enjoyable but different atmospheres. London is faster pace and have a buzz to it, however the office is very large and due to hot desking teams do not necessarily sit together, so you work more independently. Reigate has a stronger team atmosphere which I also really enjoyed. It was nice to switch between the two offices.
Very well organized. WTW made sure we had opportunities to interacts with people across the entire business, from various teams and functions. There was a nice balance of training and project work, as well as talks, events and other socials. We were well informed with the schedule of the internship and everything ran smoothly.
WTW invests plenty of time and resources into the intern training, colleagues from new joiners to senior management took time out of their day to speak to us about their roles and experiences. My team was also able to take my feedback on board and arranged opportunities in line with my interest.
Very good. WTW would be a great place to start your career as it build a wide breadth of skillsets to a high standard, working in consultancy you will work across a range of business classes. Employment prospects are positive as long as you are working in line with your goals and your managers' expectations.
The Culture
Yes, fellow interns got on well with each other and was incredibly open and willing to offer each other assistance whenever needed. There were many self arranged social activities amongst ourselves, on a weekly basis. Lunch times were sociable and we'd make the most of the good weather/fun places near by.
London has high living and socializing costs, but that's expected and will be the case of any firms in the city. Reigate has a lower cost of living so those who are more concerned about financial aspects can consider being based here. You'll still have opportunities to work in London on a regular basis.
London has many bars and clubs in the city, Soho is also a short tube/taxi ride away. You would not be short of places to go. Reigate is a town in Surrey therefore is relatively quiet and less nightlife in the area. However, during lunch times there're plenty of restaurants within walking distance to choose from.
There were some but limited amount of activities offered outside of work. This will depend on the amount of time you invest into this, I was relatively busy during that time therefore did not look for any opportunities outside of work, however I am sure if you had a look around there'll be plenty more sports or social activities available.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Actuary
South East
August 2018