Finance United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland Controllership Intern Review

I really enjoyed my placement year at GE Healthcare. My job was interesting and it kept me busy. There was a lot of focus on training and development which I loved. There were many other interns in the office so we hung out during lunch time and on weekends too.

I loved my team! Even though I was the intern, I felt that my team did not view me as an intern but more like an employee. They listened to my opinions and ideas and it made me feel welcomed in the team. We had lunch once a week as a team so it was nice to catch up with them and not talk about work.

I was given a great amount of support and guidance from my team. The three managers on my team had knowledge on different topics so I learned a lot from all of them. My managers would allow me to think for myself first and come up with a solution instead of giving me the answer straight away.

I was quite busy on a daily basis especially when it came to month ends and quarter ends. I did not mind being busy because it meant that I was doing work to get practice and learning more. But as interns we were on a fixed salary so we did not get any overtime pay even though I was working more hours than I was suppose to.

I was given a lot of tasks to do and my team allowed me to approach the task how I wanted. This allowed me to think for myself and get creative with how to get the task done. My three managers were there if I ever needed help and guidance.

Senior managers would host monthly training sessions about various finance topics. These sessions were not only interesting but they helped me gain a broader knowledge on finance and these topics were not taught at university. I was also able to shadow the tax director and it helped me learn more about tax.

Everyone in the office was really nice and friendly. In the finance department, people were usually quite busy so the atmosphere was at times serious. There were meeting rooms and quiet areas where you could work. There were many interns in my office so there was always someone to talk to and have lunch with.

It was well organized and HR met with all the interns at least once to check in on us. My team made sure that I was constantly learning and developing which was exactly what I wanted from my placement experience. There was also an opportunity to attend a GE day at another GE office.

There were training sessions on different topics of finance every couple of months. People were very approachable so if you ever had a question you could go ask them and they would be happy to help. My managers also supported my personal development. I would tell them what my quarterly goals were and they helped me achieved them.

HR told us about graduate opportunities at GE during my placement. They arranged calls and meetings so that the interns could talk with current graduates and talk to them about the graduate programs. I set up a meeting with HR to discuss about the graduate finance program and they were encouraging me to apply.

There were many interns in the office. We would often eat lunch together and sometimes we would play sports during our lunch break. Everyone lived nearby to each other so we often hung out during weekends too either in the Amersham area or we would meet up in London city.

My office was in Amersham and the cost of living in Amersham is average. Rent would be on average about 700 to 800 pounds per month. There isn't a lot to do in Amersham area so we would often go to London. Central London was easy to get to as there was the Metropolitan line and the Chiltern lines. The Chiltern lines would get you to London in about 40 minutes.

I lived in Amersham and it was a quiet area. It was an area filled with schools and family houses so there was not a lot of nightlife. If we wanted activities to do or nightlife we would go to London.

I was on the charity committee and was the organizer of the monthly bake sales. I also took part in organizing company events such as fireworks night and family day. There were not many other opportunities to get involved with. It would often be the interns organizing something outside of work.