Procurement and Supply Chain Management Review

I had a really good time, connected with lots of people and I've made friends for life. You're given responsibility and real tasks, but you're very well supported to deliver them. There's space to ask questions, you have a mentor for advice and your line manager is there for you also. BP cares about it's people and that's very evident.

Because you're given responsibility, you're automatically valued by your colleagues. You may be working to support their projects and it's nice because you can ask people for help and they can ask you for help. The key thing is asking, people can't read your mind or guess if you're struggling so when I got the courage to ask I got what I needed.

I could always go to my manager if I needed help or advice, be it about work or about anything else. For example, living arrangements. My manager was very reassuring and you form a trusting relationship. He willingly helped me whether it was with his own expertise or by directing me to the right person.

Some days were really busy and went fast, others a bit slower, particularly at the start of the internship - which can be expected. I was less busy whilst my manager was away as I completed work quicker than we'd expected but you can keep yourself busy and get stuck in. I didn't have a 'team' per se, but if I did, that might've helped me get more work to do in slower periods

I had my own projects which were real work that someone else would be doing as part of their job if I wasn't there. You're not given anything you couldn't handle and you're well supported but I did have projects to deliver on that my manager depended on me completing.

I'd say the skills I've learned are invaluable. You can't really learn business acumen outside of a business. Even skills like office admin, using the email system, booking meetings etc. are invaluable as you may not otherwise have been exposed to the software. I've learned the importance of asking questions even if they seem silly, and I've learned how the analysis skills I'd written essays on at uni are used in the context of a large business.

Very organised. I'd imagine it's difficult to find real work that can be done in 11 weeks but HR and my function somehow managed to do it. Additionally, we had a number of socials organised by ourselves, the graduates, our functions and by HR. There's a very nice work- social balance.

There are so many perks to working for BP, there's some flexibility, work life balance seems good which'll become more important in the future. The grad scheme is well paid and has a good bonus. Everyone is so friendly and makes you feel comfortable, regardless of their position in the company.

Yes, I've definitely made friends for life and have plans to see some of the other interns after work. We have organised socials, we've mixed with the graduates and went to the annual charity ball. I was part of the intern engagement committee, a branch of the graduate committee so got really involved in the social scene.

Cost of living varied depending on whether you lived at home, lived in London or lived in Feltham/Sunbury (closer to work). The cost of socializing also varied and for me coming from Manchester Uni, it's much more expensive to buy drinks in London bars. Some places you could get a pint for under 3 pounds and in some you'd find yourself paying 9.

BP is in Sunbury which has no nightlife as far as I'm aware but its 20 mins to Clapham an 30 into Waterloo and London is full of exciting places to go. We had monthly drinks with the graduates in lots of cool venues. There's lots to do if you're willing to hop on the tube.