Sourcing Specialist Review

My placement has been a fantastic learning experience. Working within a glocal company has been great and my communication skills have improved dramatically. You are given a real job here at Intel and although you have a lot of responsibility, you are highly valued as a regular member of staff. I love the role I was placed into and the things I have done and witnessed has made me grow into a much more mature student, and I am looking forward to applying this in my final year.

My team are fantastic and even though I have a remote manager who does not sit in the same country as me, we still have a fantastic relationship. I have found that people outside of my team are very willing to help and this is encouraged by Intel's open door policy.

I was given support throughout my entire 13 months at Intel. They do not forget about you after the first month; regular 1:1s with your supervisor and manager opens the communication between you and I was regularly asked if my workload is managable, is there anything I would like to do that I haven't already etc.

Like any job there are busy times and quiet times. You are treat exactly the same as every other employer so sometimes you can be super busy, then sometimes you have free time. But there is always things to be done, and if you like to be super busy at all times, people will be glad for you offering your time, and this also may result in you getting involved in something you wouldn't normally, which will add to your experience.

I was given great responsibility, no-one was checking up on my work each day. If you don't get the work done, people will know because your work is vital to the running of your department, which I see as a positive as you are truely valued. You are not just given work to pass the time, this is real work in a real job, where you are free to develop and put forward your own ideas.

I have learnt more from my placement with Intel than I have throughout two years of university. No textbooks can teach you how to work in an organisation and what I have learnt i will be able to apply to essays, reports and exams. I have got specific examples of overcoming problems in a global organisation, which no-one else will have, and I am hoping this will make my work more individual from others at uni, instead of using the case study provided by the lecturer.

My department is very friendly, if not a little quiet. I love that I have members of my team sitting in the UK with me, and I have made some fantastic friends, that make going to work less like a chore.

Intel have set up a fantastic scheme which is well ran and designed to integrate the students into their departments smoothly. You are made to feel as ease instantly and I never felt nervous about the work I was taking on due to the high ammount of support i was given.

At Intel you take control of your personal development, the same as every other employee. You must attend compulsary courses when you join, then you work with your manager to identify other courses you would like to go on, to develop you as a person, not only in your job role but also preparing for your final year at uni and future employment.

The social side of being a student at Intel is great. Like at uni there are social teams set up to make your year just as fun. Nights out and trip are plentiful, and with there being so many other students on site you are sure to make some fantastic friends, I know I have.

Swindon is a relatively cheap place to live, no more expensive than anywhere else. Rent can vary, but there are some excellent properities at very good prices to find.

Swindon is quite a small place but the nightlife is pretty good; plenty of pubs, bars and a few clubs, exactly what you need. it's a great location to visit ohter cities, such as London, Bristol and Bath at the weekend. There's also the two cinemas in the area, bowling and plenty of great places for food!

There is a student specific social team, but there is also a site wide sports and social team that get cheaper concert tickets, comedy night tickets etc. Intel has many sports teams, such as cricket and football, and even could go to a Pilates class at lunch!