Savills Summer Scheme Student Review

The scheme was very enjoyable due to the welcoming atmosphere and variety of tasks given. The kindness of the team is one of the main factors that made it enjoyable. It was fun to research a project independently and form opinions about the viability of sites. My favourite experience was the day visit I went on to see a variety of sites and attend meetings. I would have liked to have gone on more visits, but this was the best the team could realistically provide.

All staff were very welcoming and professional. They were pleasant to talk to and always thanked me for completing tasks. All members appeared to get on well with each other as well as myself. I felt like an accepted member of the team and hope to keep in touch with the people that I have met.

I received support from everyone in the team, as they all gave me tasks to do and provided feedback. The team leader gave me constructive feedback and was always available. Most of the time I was left to do my own thing by finding tasks to help different people with.

The legal skills and familiarity gained with contracts will surely assist me in my future career. This placement allowed for extensive networking, and I learnt a lot about the various software used in creating plans, which will be relevant to future jobs. Additionally, the more passive insights I gained about the norms of office working will be very useful.

The scheme was quite loosely structured. Aside from the short project and a scheduled visit, it was largely my responsibility to find work to do on a day to day basis. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as it allowed me to interact with multiple teams and have greater agency. However, at times there were limited tasks to do.

The atmosphere was authentic and rather busy. Much of the team I was in was away. However, their workload meant that I was given a wide variety of tasks. Staff were welcoming and kind. There was always someone available to answer any queries or work alongside. They were positive and enjoyable to socialise with during breaks, as well as professional during work hours.

Individuals made time to allocate me tasks and check up on how my work was going. Supervisors spent adequate time acquainting me with technology and the workings of the office. One individual particularly went out of her way to give me interesting tasks that would be good practice for the future.

The main difference between a full time role and this scheme was the nature of the tasks given. They were varied across departments and were fairy small. However, this is to be expected, as it takes time to accumulate a workload. It was positive as it let me experience snippets of many areas.

As mentioned, my experience felt highly authentic compared to what having a full time role would be like. I was treated like one of the team and mixed with them naturally. Watching how employees interact with each other and with clients shed light on the supportive yet industrious nature of the firm.

The experience gave me a taste of what a career would be like in multiple different areas of the firm due to me being able to sit and talk to all the team leaders individually. In addition, staff gave me in depth career advice and mentioned which areas they believed I would enjoy based on my feedback.

The pay was adequate to cover my rent and living expenses for the time I worked at Savills. This was aided by the fact that I was only having to spend £2.50 to commute per day. My only expense was a train ticket to get to a visit, which was reimbursed in a timely manner.

Networking was able to passively happen throughout my time at Savills. This could occur during lunch break or after work. Most employees introduced themselves and I went on a tour round the office at the start of my placement in order to meet everybody. I have talked with many people extensively and will keep in touch.

There were opportunities to go to drinks after work in a local pub. My favourite event was lunch out at Honest Burger with staff. This was a good opportunity to get to know staff members without distractions or responsibly to work. All events were relaxed, enjoyable and useful networking sessions

I was made aware of some activities via the newsletter, such as taking part in various sporting events. I was also informed of the vast array of charitable events that workers are encouraged to take part in. In my office there was a Wii tournament to raise money for bowel cancer research.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this scheme to a friend. Personal advice was given according to my existing experience and career goals. Anyone with an interest in Real Estate would benefit from both this and from the potential to make reliable, knowledgeable contacts in the Real Estate industry. The experience was valuable for general working life as well as this sector too.