Sales Support Review

Really enjoyed my placement - the work was varied and you could shape opportunities and role based on interest. In making the role your own you had a lot more responsibilities to take action and drive projects. The placement organisation also made it enjoyable as they actively encouraged your growth. There are also lots of opportunities to get involved in outside of your job role such as volunteer activities, and other site activities that making working more enjoyable.

Your never treated like you are just an intern and always treated like a valuable member of the team, this is reflected in the level of responsibility you are given as an Intern at Intel. Thoughts and ideas are encouraged and even if someone disagrees, you feel empowered to share your opinion. The work you do is always recognized and appreciated by the teams your working with - going the extra mile won't be forgotten. Team building activities also helped to integrate within the team

Managers set-up regular meetings to support you and offer guidance, and are easily accessible to talk to at other points in the week. Members of your team and others in the business also make themselves readily available to offer support. Colleagues are approachable, and make you feel comfortable to seek support. The business itself has a range of training opportunities and systems that make finding support easy, such as buddy systems to match you to someone in the business who will offer support.

I always found myself quite busy but this was of my own accord and not something necessarily encouraged by the business. There are a lot of ways to get involved at Intel and it can be easy to say yes to everything especially if you are the type of person that enjoys being busy. However, taking regular breaks and not over-working is readily encouraged, it is therefore your responsibility to ensure you are doing this.

The amount of responsibility you are given is one of the best elements of this placement in my opinion. You are empowered to take responsibility over projects and tasks which overall help excel your development and improve your skills. Although you are given a lot of responsibility you are also given the support to achieve and be successful in your activities. This makes for a great balance, and does not put you under uncomfortable pressure.

I feel the skills I've developed this year will help support much of my degree and future career. As you have the ability to slightly shape your placement year, I was able to position my role to fit in with the modules I am due to take in final year. Furthermore, if there are any specific skills that you would like to acquire that you can fit within your scope than this is also actively encouraged.

When we were in the office it was a very relaxed and sociable atmosphere. You have the opportunity to work from your desk or other areas of the building depending on what suits you best. The organisation would also host events in the building for all employees which would be great opportunities to meet others around the business. Even after we have switched to working from home the same atmosphere is pursued on virtual meetings.

The internship process is overall really well organised and you can tell they have been taking on interns for a number of years. You always had lots of resources available if you needed help with anything. Roles were also clear and you understood the roles of other interns which made it easier to work together. Intern processes throughout the year were also really straightforward. This is especially helped by the handover period from previous interns.

There is a great intern community at Intel in which there are so many opportunities throughout the year to get involved and socialise. We would have regular events as an intern community and in the business would work together on tasks. There is also a good social scene between other colleagues whereby you will likely have team building events and weekly catch-ups to get to know everyone better, which creates a positive working environment - especially when working from home.

Being based in Intel's Swindon office the nightlife isn't great, however there are places to go and as an intern it proves great for socializing with other interns and you may be the only ones in the club on some nights. There are some nice bars but not so much variety, however they are close together which makes it easy to plan a night out. Swindon is close to other cities such as Bath and Bristol where the nightlife is better so a trip there is possible also.

There are lots of opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. Including lots of volunteer activities in the local community which a lot of people across the business get involved in, so double up as a great networking opportunity. There are also specific intern groups which you can get involved in that plan events and other activities for the wider staff group. Sporting groups are also encouraged and there are teams inside and outside of the workplace that you can sign up for.