This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I enjoyed my placement, I had many things to do and had actual responsibilities. I was able to run my own projects and make changes to the structures and processes. The colleagues were fun to work with and the team atmosphere was good. Regualr meeting ensured that deadlines were monitored, this helped me to stay motivated.
I was definetly valued by my colleaguew in my own and other departments. It was relatively easy to reach other departments and receive help on topics. Getting ask to get involved in topics, or help out has shown that too. It was also stated by my team leader that they value my work and input.
Only little guidance was given, in most cases we were able to persue our projects on our own with little intervention. When needed I was able to turn to my supervisor. It was in my own hands to make as much out of mu intership as I wanted. I enjoyed that.
I would say I was rather busy and had to stay longer on many occasions to finish my work. I saw it as frustrating as colleagues who passed work to be were able to leave ontime because of that. Somtimes I was stressed as too many things were going on at the same time.
The projetcs which I took on were my projects, therefore the responsibility was with me too. I enjoyed that, but would have valued regualr 1:1 meetings to ensure that I am on track and receive more guidance. I was allowed to deal with suppliers, serivce-providers and other departments on my own.
My project management skills have become a lot better, and so is my time mamagement. Being used to working long hours and putting in the effort will definetly help at university. I feel uni will be a walk in the park compared to work. During my placement I was also able to improve my skills in excel, powerpoint and other softwares.
The Company
We were abel to have fun at times, have a chat in the tea-kitchen and huddle around to watch a video. The atmosphere is rather professional and quiet. But this allows us to work in a concenrated manner. Generally fridays are much more relaxed. I think it was a good mix.
It wasnt really set up, I came in got set up then and started my work. It organically grew and so did my workspace. There was no schedule planned for my time here. All the things i needed I was able to get, with no barriers in the way. I think that was okay
There was no training or personal development for us interns. I belive that the company could have done more in this aspecyt, but I guess that is complaining on a high level. If the retention of previous interns would be better, then the compnay could actually benefit from the investment.
Subsidised Canteen
Subsidised/Company Gym
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
The prospects are good, but they are not clearly communicated or layed out. Some interns have been offered to apply to the graduate scheme, but are not too keen to take it on. The company could do much better to take advantage of the skills of these interns. The handover process is not overlooked, so with the intern goes a lot of knowledge.
The Culture
There are regular socials on thursday and the interns have organized to play football on tuesdays. These events are self/planned, and completely disconnected to the company. WhatsApp groups are used to connect us all together, but that is rather informal. The group was fun, friendly and inclusive. I can say I found mnay friends in that group.
Oxford is very expesnive, but a great space to go out. there is allways something on, and the bars, restaurants and clubs are good. The houses are overpriced for what they are, its quite common, but I guess that has to do with the UK not Oxford in particualar. I would suggest to share a house with co-interns.
The nightlife is great, but I would suggest to only take that offer up on weekends, going out with students in Oxford can get crazy and working the next day with a hangover is not fun... and can seriosuly decrease performace. Many bars, restraurants or cinemas are available in Oxford.
Weekend trips were planned in our whatsapp group, played football and met for a social on thursdays. The company also has a gym where we could get a paid-membership. These are not planned from the company, there is no work-life scheme that is actually lived. I think this should be improved.
Details
Accounting, Automotive Engineering, Data Science, Business Management
South East
September 2018