Summer Scheme Student Review

My team that I was working with had me involved from day one starting with basic tasks and increasing my involvement as the scheme progressed. They ensured that I was always happy with the work I was doing. The four weeks also flew by which I always think is a good indicator of how much you have enjoyed an experience like this.

As I don't have any previous experience in property, I thought that I wasn't going to be able to contribute a great deal to the company with the work I was doing. After I had gotten to grips with things in the first week, I wanted to be increasingly involved in team projects.

My team were extremely supportive. They explained all tasks to me clearly and were more than happy to help with an questions that I had. I've gone from having zero property experience to having acquired, not just knowledge, but an interest in residential development projects.

I was never really in contact with clients which is something I would have liked to do, however this was a great first experience in a professional working environment, seeing how a large company functions on a daily basis.

Sometimes I felt like I was waiting for a task appropriate for my knowledge and ability to come up. Because of this, time management was never really an issue. Different departments kept telling me that they had site visits I could attend which never materialised which was also a shame.

The working atmosphere was fantastic. I was introduced to everyone individually by my graduate mentor on the first day and was made to feel welcome during my time here, giving me an overall very positive impression of what it's like to work for the company on a permanent basis.

I got to attend a networking event in run by Savills in York which was really useful for my personal development and understanding the importance of good work connections. As the only summer scheme student in the office, I was very lucky that all of my training within different departments was one on one.

The insight gave me a very good understanding of what it's like to work in a professional environment. The office had a lot of variation in terms of employee age and experience, so I had the opportunity to speak with everyone from graduates to directors and to see the general employee progression within the business.

I learnt that the client is very much at the forefront of Savills' company culture. I got the impression that it is a company which really looks after its employees form speaking with different people within the office. I was also involved in a gender equality conference call which were very interesting in terms of seeing the company's strategies for change.

My graduate mentor, and my team in general, spent a lot of time explaining to me the process of applying for the graduate scheme and the end project everyone is required to undertake to become a surveyor. I also learnt about the opportunities to pursue work abroad which would be a great experience as a young graduate.

I was paid a generous amount for the summer scheme. My travel costs to York for a networking event were also covered by the company and they also provided a very nice lunch in my final week. I could not get a placement in the city where I live so I had to commute to Leeds, from Manchester every day. The rail ticket was very expensive, so I'm grateful that the scheme was paid so I wasn't out of pocket.

As I mentioned before, there was a networking event in the York office on my final week which was interesting as it was my first (knowing) experience of networking. I also had a lunch during my final week with my team and other employees within the company to get to do some networking within the Leeds office before I left. My team have also told me to keep in contact, especially to inform them if I wish to apply for the graduate scheme!

The event in York was a great opportunity to meet Savills employees from different offices across the Yorkshire region. My team also got me involved in social events e.g going for drinks with other graduates and young associates after work.

I went for after work drinks on a couple of occasions. Other than that I wasn't aware of any other specific after work activities that I could get involved with.

I did get a lot out of the experience however I think in general the Summer Insight Scheme is probably better for students who study a property undergraduate degree. I would definitely recommend this to a friend though. It has definitely given me a lot to consider in terms of applying for Savills' graduate scheme next year.