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
When I was working on a project and got really stuck into them, I really enjoyed it - I'd suddenly realise it was 5pm. There were some amazing weeks, but the rest of the time it was just work. Not necessarily bad, not great, just okay. I had the odd week where I struggled with a difficult project but that was not frequent.
I felt like a valued member of the team, like I had some experience to offer when people needed help, even if I didn't actually have much. The whole team was really nice and friendly, there was no-one that I didn't get on with. I think I've made some good friends.
It's not so much that he didn't provide support, it's more that it wasn't really needed. A lot of the job is learning as you do it, and that's actually the best way of learning it. If I ever did feel out of my depth or had a problem I couldn't ask anyone else, I would be comfortable asking them.
It depends on the week. If I was on a project, I would be perfectly busy all day for a week or two. Nothing that I would have to stay late for or anything, it was just I had enough to be getting on with. Other weeks, when I wasn't on a project, they could get quite boring doing bits and bobs with other people's things.
I was given full multiple week long projects by myself working with a real client and client rep. I was treated just like any other employee I would say. It was slightly daunting to begin with but it's a challenge you need sometimes to progress in life.
I've learned to become a semi-professional web developer. I've learned a huge amount about the one thing I knew near to nothing about how it worked - the web. This will definitely help me with my computer science degree, helping me build my final year project as well as any future projects that I want to bring to life.
The Company
We would chat when we weren't busy. There wasn't anything crazy going on the whole time, it was an office. But it wasn't really boring or anything.
There wasn't much organisation that needed to be done other than arranging who was doing the projects. We had team meetings to do that once a week.
They put me on a month long training course called the Digital Skills Academy that gave you a not shallow, and broad explanation on multiple Watson services as well as basic web development training. I have also sat in on multiple "lunch-n-learns" teaching things like programming best practices and chat bots.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
International Travel
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Working from home
They've offered that I extend my placement for another month, as well as being fairly open with wanting me to come back and have a job with them as a graduate. Based on what my tutor said when he spoke to my manager, as well as how I believe my colleagues feel about my work ethic, I think I have quite good prospects with employment with them in the future.
The Culture
There was, however, I was not involved in it. If I had started this job with the mindset that I have now, I would have tried to have been much more involved but I was a lot more socially anxious. There was monthly free drinks at a nearby bar, as well as weekly drinks with a lot of the other placement students I believe.
I worked in South Bank, Central London. I didn't live in central London and I commute in so I save money that way, but on Fridays I get some food from a market nearby, and it's around £10 for a small box of steak and chips. It tastes really good though, totally worth it.
This answer would be the same as the social scene answer. There was one but I was not involved with it.
It's central London so there tons of things to do outside of work. For example, when I started to become more sociable, I went to a JavaScript and AI event at Monzo Bank HQ.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Computer Systems Engineering, Computer Science
London
April 2019