HR Summer Placement Review

I really enjoyed my time at Centrica. The 10 weeks flew by, and I felt like the graduate team put a lot of effort into our onboarding and facilitating our arrival, as well as helping us sort any issues during our placement. I feel like I've definitely left the company a better professional than I arrived.

I loved working with my team - although we were spread all over the country from Scotland to Staines, we had regular team catch-ups over VC. It felt like people cared about the work I was doing and about how I was enjoying the placement. The people I sat near in the office were so friendly and it was a pleasure to be around them!

My line manager was an amazing person - she always managed to fit in a weekly catch up on how I was doing despite having an incredibly buys schedule. I was given ample support in terms of my personal development - this was tracked on a document completed over the course of the 10 weeks and made it easy to keep track of my development.

It varied. Some weeks in the middle of the placement, I was so busy that I barely had half an hour free (which I loved), but at some points at the start of, and at the end of the placement, I found myself twiddling my thumbs slightly. This was a bit frustrating, but I felt like my manager and people around me did their best to give me work when possible. I appreciate it's only a summer placement and they can't have me involved in too much purely due to time constraints.

I facilitated an employee feedback session which went on to form the basis of a Human Resources Leadership Team meeting. To know that the work I was completing (with help from my graduate buddy) was having an impact on a high level, and from the feedback we got it sounds like it all went very well!

I feel like I developed a huge range of skills over my 10 weeks. From things as trivial as office etiquette and Microsoft Office skills, to crucial skills such as teamwork, commercial awareness, and time management, I gained such a variety of skills. I think they will stand me in great stead for the future in whatever path I take.

I worked next to a different team who were always laughing and joking around, and this was a pleasure to be a part of! The office was also decorated in an England theme for the World Cup, which made it seem more homely and less intimidating as someone who's basically never stepped foot in an office before.

As mentioned previously, it feels like the graduate team put a lot of effort into accommodating the summer interns. We had multiple induction and development days which were really fun. There were a few logistical hiccups, but I feel this is due to my location - I was based in Manchester with a small group of other interns, whereas the graduate team and the majority of the other interns were based down South.

Like I said before, there were multiple induction and development days dedicated to our personal development. In addition to this, we received Excel and presentation training which will stand me in good stead for future employment. There was a document that I completed over the 10 weeks that mapped my development, making it easy to track.

I really identify with the Centrica values, and I feel like it's a company that I would love to work for in the future. The energy industry is going through major changes currently, but I think Centrica is doing well to adapt for the future and will continue to be a great employer.

As mentioned previously, I was based in Manchester with a small group of other Centrica interns (5 of us), with the majority based in Windsor/Staines. Whilst our group was small, there's a lot to do in Manchester and we all got along well. I feel it would have been slightly better if more events were organised for non-Windsor interns.

Good. I appreciated being near home in Cheshire - I was able to visit home on occasions and it wasn't too long or costly. Manchester as a whole is reasonably priced, and Centrica provided accommodation which was a big plus. The accommodation itself was fine, but we did have to request for us interns to be moved together, as we were not originally.

I have been out in Manchester a few times before so knew a few places already. It's relatively cheap and there's a wide range of places you can visit. Definitely more to do, at a cheaper price, than down in Windsor etc. As there was only 5 of us however, it was rare that everyone was around at the same time on weekends.

I joined the Manchester Talbot Road weekly football side, who met up on Wednesdays to play for an hour and a half. This was really enjoyable and gave me an extra-curricular activity to look forward to in the middle of the week. However as I said before, I would have appreciated it if the graduate team had scheduled some more events for the non-Windsor interns.