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 have really enjoyed my internship, I feel that I have been given a lot of responsibility and felt trusted within the company- from day one I was fully immersed and given worthwhile tasks to do. Everyone has been so helpful, and there are so many employees who are there to help you if you need it.
I have felt very valued by colleagues, I have been given the opportunity to attend meetings from day 1 and my boss shared her workload with me so I was just doing what she would normally have to! I never felt looked down upon by other employees, and everyone was so happy to have me there.
My manager was always available near to me to lend a hand or answer a quick question when needed. The programmes we used meant that it was easy to connect with employees based all around the country and so there was always someone who would be able to help you. I had daily meetings with my manager which was definitely beneficial.
I believe that I had a really good balance, obviously there are days which are bound to be more stressful and some quieter ones but I always had something to be working on, and people to contact if I didn't have enough work/ had too much. I have worked on a number of different projects and could easily switch between them.
I was given a lot of responsibility, and never felt that I was just doing odd bits and bobs- but that my tasks were beneficial to the company and would need to be done by another employee if I hadn't. This is why I have enjoyed the placement so much.
I have learnt a lot of valuable skills that I will use for the rest of my life, and will definitely assist me in future studying. I fell that not only do I know a lot about how a company works but I have experienced working life as an employee and it has set my expectations for future jobs.
The Company
The office is really friendly- there is a hot desk policy and so people move about and get to know each other. There is also free tea/coffee and fruit provided every day which brings everyone's mood up. Everyone has been really welcoming and interested to get to know each other.
It was really organised, with staff dedicated to different aspects of the internship to make sure we all settled in well. We also had weekly catch up's with a graduate talent manager who will answer any questions we have and give us general guidance with anything that we need. I had no issues
Centrica have run an excel training session for us, as well as workshops that have explained more about the company's strategy. However, there hasn't been much personal training and development opportunities invested.
Subsidised/Company Gym
They are reasonably appealing- with the grad scheme you are able to move around offices across the country and experience a range of different roles. I have been told that it is easy to progress within the company, but not sure what this will be like going forward.
The Culture
We are based in a town which doesn't have much to do at all, and everyone is usually tired from work that there isn't much of a social life, which can be frustrating at times. However, we do try and make an effort and be sociable when possible, and get to know each other.
It has been expensive in terms of eating out/ drinks, however as Centrica provided our accommodation for us during the 10 weeks, this has taken a lot of financial pressure of. Socialising can be costly as we are far away from activities that would appeal to us and so it can be expensive to get to/from there.
There is no nightlife
Not that I am aware of no, apart from the occasional work drinks
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
London
July 2019