Summer Intern - Change & Business Solutions Review

I very much enjoyed my role, my department and the overall structure of the internship. I had more autonomy than in previous roles, and my experience was not rose-tinted in the sense that I was fully exposed to the difficulties and the limitations of the industry and the firm. The only detracting aspect of the internship was that my wide networking ambitions were not always fulfilled as some colleagues did not make time to respond to meeting invites and communications.

I cannot speak for the entirety of the business, but my colleagues in Supply Chain Services were wonderful - very friendly, open for conversation, interested in me, and very supportive of my programme. So friendly, in fact, that I mistakenly thought that some colleagues were in my team when in fact they worked for a different team entirely!

I was left to my own devices more than was prescribed by HR, but I felt this assisted my development more than it hindered it. My line managers had unique styles that complemented each other and gave me a good context into working life. It was great that management had the freedom to choose how they interacted with me, and it made me feel like a valued, independent employee.

The nature of my project meant that I always had something to be getting on with, and most of this was very engaging. The only problem that I encountered, and with some regularity, was that stakeholders around the business would be slow to reply to my communication and were not always helpful with their responses, which kept me waiting for longer than would have been ideal. However, this is a natural aspect of working life.

Whilst I was not project lead, I had full ownership over key aspects of the work I was engaged with. This meant that it was my responsibility to decide how and to whom I should deliver my work, but I was never left without support if needed. In fact, as the core risks became more prevalent, my project transformed from a solo piece of work into a collaborative venture. This gave me a different set of responsibilities I wouldn't have experienced otherwise.

Firstly, it is important to note that I have just graduated from my undergraduate degree and am moving on to an MSc degree in Economics after the internship concludes, so I know as a matter of certainty that my future lies in a different business area to that of my internship, which impacted the relevancy of some of the skills I developed. Secondly, my business area was not focused on formal training during the internship, so I cannot comment on this. However, the project and people skills (planning, analysis, Agile working, negotiation, stakeholder management, networking) that lay at the heart of my placement will be relevant anywhere I work and study, and are absolutely invaluable.

The atmosphere in the office was fantastic. Everyone was friendly, and most work discussions were prefaced with some friendly chat and banter. This lent itself to a consistently positive atmosphere, and colleagues were quick both to share and to reach out. There was little, if any, undue negativity and this contributed to a supportive, comfortable environment.

The structure of the internship was a key attraction during the recruitment and selection process, and it was proven to be just as great as I had heard. The structure is clear, with networking events, socials, seminars and other opportunities available with just the right level of frequency; not too often so as to get in the way of project work, and not too infrequent as to become boring. My objectives were clear, revisited often, and structured feedback meant that I always had one eye on my development.

I did not receive any tailored personal training or development as prescribed by the company. However, there were boundless opportunities to be proactive and arrange my own development, though there were strict limitations on formal training. In terms of informal sessions, my intern cohort were very active in setting up events and seminars that developed some of our core skills.

Whilst the graduate scheme aligned to my business area is not particularly appealing to me, the overall prospects within the company are widespread and seem fulfilling. The company is focused on change, which breeds its own opportunities, and it is very much possible to engineer your own path through the organisation after you finish on the graduate scheme.

The intern cohort was the best aspect of the entire scheme. We had an in-depth induction that broke the ice, and hats off to HR for selecting a great bunch of individuals. We lunch together daily and most interns are very social without it feeling particularly cliquey. We have had socials organised both by ourselves and the company, and will keep in touch long after our placements end.

Edinburgh is fairly reasonable when compared with places like London, but is still more expensive than Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester. However, with the package offered by the company, living and socialising are absolutely possible and encouraged. In particular, the Gogarburn HQ's facilities are affordable enough to make work life on a budget very easy.

I personally think that Edinburgh's nightlife is perfect for an intern scheme - small enough to meet easily at the same venue, and big enough not to get boring. There are many options for nights out: pubs, bars, comedy clubs, jazz bars, nightclubs and more. There is also the Edinburgh Fringe Festival towards the end of the placement, which cannot be missed.

The interns regularly played 5-a-side football on Wednesday nights at Gogarburn HQ's football pitches. Aside from this, many events were offered that spanned from charity kilt walks and mountain bikes to football tournaments. We also had structured events away from the office like CSR Challenge Day and many socials around Edinburgh.