Assistant Supplier manager Review

I enjoyed my internship quite a bit as it allowed me the opportunity to work in a new city. I was given a great deal of independence which helped me develop time management skills and I was also given the opportunity to work from home. However some colleagues did not make me feel valued and were sometimes slightly patronising as to my abilities. A lot of the work given was repetitive or mundane, however as only being with the company for ten weeks- there is a limit to the tasks which an intern can be given.

I had a range of relationships with colleagues, some seemed to value my work and trust me to complete tasks, while others had a 'hovering' management technique where they seemed to not always trust my ability to get a job done. For the most part my colleagues appreciated my work and I felt like I did well.

Not a lot of guidance, left to get on with work independently and sometimes when given guidance, it was misguided- one colleague showed me how to 'copy and paste' which was something quite basic. It was good though as it taught me how to forge relationships and get favours/help with different colleagues across the team. Weekly catch up sessions were provided however it was quite a loosely managed placement which is quite a good thing as you wouldn't be spoon fed in the workplace. My manager gave me a lot of time for personal development and believed in me to do a good job independently.

It varied, I got tasks done quite quickly. You have to keep asking for work to make yourself busy, there were opportunities to ask around for shadowing and we also had to participate in the charity challenge. If you take the initiative and get involved then you will almost certainly find yourself with plenty to do.

I had the chance to do a lot of tasks independently. One colleague did not trust me at all with tasks however most of my team loved to include me and collaborate with me in tasks. I was given freedom to lead the re-design of a SharePoint site, I saw it through from start to finish which was a good experience.

I have learnt invaluable knowledge. I learnt a lot about day to day communication with colleagues, how to form meaningful relationships and I learnt that networking in the workplace is not just about asking but about giving. You learn what it is that you can offer and what you need. I had lots of time for personal development which has allowed me to pursue how to create a small business. I have improved my linked in and my CV. I have also learnt a lot about time management and how to concentrate for a whole day of work and stay efficient, skills which will be great coming into my final year of university.

I was often ignored or not spoken to during the day. I was surrounded by a team which was nice. However the general tone of the team was quite pessimistic, people did often complain and therefore it was not the nicest place to work. People were a lot more positive when my manager was about. Often a lot of my team worked from home so I did the same, this was a really nice opportunity and it was good that they trusted me to do this. Canons House Bristol in general is a lovely office and has great facilities, I enjoyed coming into work. While the office was no the most vibrant place, I made lots of great relationships with colleagues outside of my team.

Lloyds are amazing as they pay for the accommodation you stay in and you get paid on the internship. There is a clear support system in place and activities like the charity challenge designed to keep interns together. However my manager underestimated my abilities and therefore did not set me enough work, he left me under management of another colleague who would often not want to give me work.

Lloyds will fully support you and want you to develop. My CV looks amazing because of training I have done on Lynda.com and also Lloyds will try to cater the placement to you, they will encourage shadowing, mentoring and give you opportunities to participate in tasks that challenge you and bring out the best in your ability,

I would consider working for Lloyds again, they are a lovely company that truly cares for its employees. The only thing holding me back is that I want to explore some other options and consider a more creative career. You won't find many company's that treat employees as well as Lloyds do.

There was a social scene initially but then interns split up into smaller groups. A lot chose to go home a the weekends. There are good bars/clubs and general tourist opportunities in Bristol. I met a few good friends to go and do things with. However it could have been better.

Lloyds paid my accommodation, I then budgeted my grocery shopping well and spent the most money on exploring Bristol and doing some fun tourist activities. You could live as cheaply as possible however as the internship was paid there was plenty of money to do things and live well if you wished to.

Bristol has nice bars, I didn't really go to the clubs but I have heard they are quite good.

My team did not offer to meet outside of work at any point. There is a lot to do in Bristol which can be done independently or with people you meet. I have found myself busy every weekend exploring Bristol and meeting up with friends, you can be as busy as you decide you want to be- the opportunities are definitely there.