Intern (Operations) Review

I found the placement very enjoyable, I was anticipating a difficult transition from studying to working but the staff made me feel welcome and I feel that I learned a lot from the people I was working with and under, and gained a new appreciation for operations within a large business.

Everyone I worked with made me feel very valued, I was a bit lost at first never having had even a part time job before, but here I was given responsibilities almost immediately. I was thrown a little into the deep end but it made me feel part of a team very quickly and son found my footing.

I had weekly meetings with one supervisor to ensure I was actually getting what I needed to out of the placement, I was also given gentle feedback when I was messing up any tasks and was shown where I went wrong and how to correct things without condescension and with empathy.

It was a very busy office, the work could get a bit overwhelming at points but once I was in the rhythm of the office it wasn't too much to take on. There were hardly any lulls because reports and operations were a constant, especially in a business like Argos which does deliveries.

I was given some responsibility over directing and co-ordinating fleet movements but was never given any direct control over operations, which is to be expected. I did however learn from observing and by the end had relative autonomy over carrying out the tasks I was given. I never felt like I was untrusted and was given the room to work independently.

I learned many skills that were generally useful to my degree, but more so were useful for after I graduate in future. I learned a good deal about time management and professional deportment which will help on my course, but more than that I learned about day to day operations in a multimillion pound business which will give me great experience for finding a job in future.

The atmosphere in the office is great, there is room for both professionalism and fun. There was no feeling of being managed or a hierarchal controlling atmosphere either. Lunchtimes especially were a very good opportunity for socialising and everyone from peers doing placements to bosses and supervisors were super friendly.

There was obviously a planned structure in place for students doing placements with clear goals and a system of teaching and schedule to give more autonomy to the person on the placement. There were no administrative errors or any point where no-one knew what to do with me so to speak.

The company invested a fair amount in making sure I was taken care of on the placement. There were many contact hours with supervisors and other workers to make sure I learned and knew what my role was. An ICT worker taught me aspects of the system that were required for me to do the work and I was given use of my own workstation during the duration of the placement.

I was invited to apply to work there after I had completed my degree and I am seriously considering it. It was a fun place to work, its near where my parents live and there is a lot of opportunity to advance and to gain experience to work anywhere in the corporate world.

There were a few other people on placements while I was there, the company takes four people on at a time generally so though there isn't may other students interning there, you will easily have some likeminded peers who you can socialise with. There was a good feeling of camaraderie amongst us and we all pooled knowledge when it came to supporting each other through the placement.

I was able to stay at home during the placement, as the offices are near to where my parents home is so in my case it was very cheap. I was able to ride my bike to the offices so I didn't have to worry about public transport. The area itself is nowhere near as expensive as the London area so its a lot easier to live and work there than in the city. Food places are prices fine in the area.

The Milton Keynes are unfortunately isn't great for nightlife, there are some clubs but nothing as idiosyncratic or interesting as you'd get in a major city. The pubs are fine, quiet and the drinks aren't overpriced. Fo arts and culture there are a few local cinemas and public parks but not much else.

There were a few clubs and work-related sports teams that were open to people on placements and permanent workers. This didn't appeal to me personally but they are there. There were more informal socialising events like going out for drinks on the Friday and such that will appeal to most people and as I said previously, everyones so friendly .