Technology Summer Intern Review

It was a fantastic experience and I cannot recommend it enough. I worked on a large scale project that had a real-world impact yet was able to meet some of the people that would be using my work in years to come. The people are also helpful and trusting which creates a great working environment. The Bournemouth location is also really good during the summer as you can finish work and be at the beach in 15 minutes!

Everyone was really welcoming and happy to help with any problems I had. I was trusted to work on a project for a specific business need and throughout the internship was able to discuss its role in the wider team. Being able to talk to the people who would use my project was particularly nice as I could see the impact it would have.

My manager was amazing and was always on hand to give advice be it work-related or otherwise. The campus recruitment team were also always happy to help with any concerns. You are also assigned a graduate mentor who can help with any question you don't want to ask your team.

The workload was very well balanced. I was never bored as when my main project was a little slow I was free to work on other side projects in the business. However, even when there was more work it was never necessary to work extra long hours to try and get things finished.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement as I was in charge of setting the foundation for a project that will continue to be developed in the coming years. In addition, I was involved in the discussions regarding best practises and methodologies, setting standards for future development.

Working here allowed me to put into practice a lot of the theory I learned at University and develop new skills. For example, programming languages, frameworks, development methodologies and networking skills. All of which will be incredibly important in the final year of my degree and throughout my career after.

The atmosphere was generally quite relaxed. The open-plan offices create a good working environment. Things occasionally got a little tense in the run up to major releases or when trying to meet deadlines but this never manifested itself into anything worse. In general, it was a fun place to be

The internship was well organised with clear instructions throughout. The campus recruitment team did a great job of organising any relevant events, in particular, the social events throughout the process. Everything was clearly communicated through weekly emails so you knew what to expect at all times. My team also had sessions set up to introduce me to the project so I could get started right away.

The company was clearly investing in me as I gained access to training sites, workshops and many online resources. All of these were helpful but in particular, being able to ask people who are specialists in an area to help or teach you and review your work was incredibly valuable.

Future employment prospects are great with a majority of interns receiving offers for full-time work at the end of the program. This meant that there was not really a sense of competition which allowed everyone to get on really well and do the best work possible. The graduate program helps develop your skills further on returning to the company with the possibility of promotions after it finishes.

Most people on the placement met daily for lunch and other activities. Networking events helped to break the ice early on in the process and consequently, there was a great social scene amongst all the interns. In addition to the officially organised socials, there were many opportunities to go out in Bournemouth.

The cost of living and socialising is pretty good. In general prices are reasonable; however, because Bournemouth is a seaside town and the internship takes place during summer there are some higher costs for socialising as a result of the tourism. Living costs are reasonably consistent across other areas in the South.

Bournemouth is a great location to be in with one of the worlds best beaches and a nice seafront area. The nightlife is reasonably good and although the choice of venues is not as varied or exciting as locations like London it is still enough for a good night out.

There were lots of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of your main work projects. You could join teams looking at interesting areas of technology, participate in one of the many sports team, get involved in charitable work (In future you can even take a day to do charity work in your local area)