External Communications & Media Relations Review

I've really enjoyed my placement at BMW, I've developed my skills which I've learned at University and applied them to real life situations. I've been given a lot of responsibility and feel like a valued member of the team. It's so good to get involved in a real working environment with a team who value me as much as any other member, and I can't wait to get into full time work after I graduate! The social aspects of my placement also added real value to the experience, with intern circles and social meet-ups from pub crawls to weekly football.

I felt extremely valued by my team, and felt that they gave me as much responsibility as they would any other team member. This is ideal as it has helped me to learn and develop as a more confident and skilled worker at a good level. The experiences I've gained as a result of this trust have been life changing.

I was given excellent support and guidance by my manager and supervisors, in both work and non-work related issues. The people I have worked under here have so much work and life experience, and it's been extremely valuable to learn from them and follow in their footsteps in learning how to handle situations.

My work load varied from very busy to very relaxed, in cyclical terms. I felt that this was great, as the busier days often went faster and the more relaxed days could be used to catch up on longer term projects I was working on and any outstanding university work. It was a very good balance and I never felt too under pressure or underworked.

I was given a lot of responsibility on my placement, ranging from helping out at the launch of new cars to running press releases and arranging meetings with senior company members. This responsibility was great as it allowed me to gain confidence while feeling like a valued member of the team.

The skills I have developed while on placement will set me up for life (I hope), I could not have hoped for a more engaging placement year. The skills I have learned and the discipline I have developed can be transferred not just into my working life, but also my private and university life. I have matured as a person during this year and I aim to use these skills forever.

My office had a generally very good atmosphere, with occasional healthy confrontation. There was no shortage of banter and we all seemed to bounce off each other and pick each other up when someone is having an off day. Furthermore, we aligned our holiday and covered for each other when people were out of the office.

The placement was very well organised and structured, with an induction day for all interns to meet each other and be taught the ins and outs. We also had an intern circle which I was a member of, which we could discuss any issues people had and get them resolved in the best possible way, which worked out rerally well!

The company did invest time and effort into my training and development for the job I was doing, but apprentices tend to be more favoured in this regard at BMW, as interns are often lost once returned to university. I was certainly given enough training for my role however, and developed plenty in this time.

Employment prospects are not great at BMW for interns, as the graduate scheme seems very limited. I'd love to stay on at BMW, but I will have to make a very good application after university and hope that there is even a job in my field available. The company is very focused on its apprentices.

There was an excellent social scene for us interns, as we played football every week without fail, as well as meeting up for weekly socials. We had an intern circle in which we discussed issues and a facebook group which helped us organise house shares and any other events, as well as an official email account which kept us up to date on all intern socials.

The cost of living was not too much to handle, especially once we'd been paid, however it wasn't cheap either. However, this is more down to Oxford being a rather expensive city than anything BMW can control. I managed to have a good social life and could afford my rent without being too savvy.

The nightlife was pretty good. There is a great selection of pubs and bars in Cowley, and the clubs aren't too bad either. It doesn't compare much to most university main cities, but Oxford is a lot smaller and with work every day, I feel that there was plenty for us to do in our spare time on weekends.

There were plenty of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work, especially with other interns. We played football on a weekly basis, met up for intern socials on thursday nights at a different pub each week, and went on nights out and football matches at the weekend which was great!