Key Accounts Intern Review

My placement year at BSH was thoroughly enjoyable. I have gained a lot of experience that will be beneficial when continuing on my studies and in future job roles. I believe that the colleagues in my department and other interns have definitely made the year even better. The pandemic has also shown how well BSH has taken care of its employees during these times, and has given me the stepping stone to working from home.

On arrival everyone is very warm and welcoming. My department was mainly filled with middle-aged men with strong personalities so it wasn't long before i had to make my voice heard. My colleagues definitely treated me as an equal rather than an intern, and appreciated any recommendations i had. They were very accommodating with any little questions i had throughout the day and always pushed me to do better. I will be keeping in contact with them throughout my final year and career.

My role was very independent due to not having a direct supervisor at the beginning of the year, however all the account managers were very supportive and regularly scheduled catch-ups to see how i progressed. My manager always ensured that there was an open line of communication between us if i ever struggled or needed support. I was encouraged throughout the year to get involved with as many training schemes in order to further enrich my year.

Overall my days were filled up with various tasks that kept me busy, whether that was admin, reports or dealing with queries from the account managers. There were a few months during the year (when we launched products) were i was non-stop on the go in order to meet tight deadlines. Since working from home there were days which were slower than usual, however i was encouraged to assist in other projects in the company to fill my time.

In my role i had to ensure that all product information was accurate before being sent to customers and correct any customer queries that come up. As part of my role, i was asked to do the weekly reports for the retail sector, which were presented to numerous people including directors. I was regularly trusted to put together smaller reports or presentations for our director which he used during meetings with the CEO and our head office.

I believe that the information i have gained during the year, regarding product specifications, will not be relevant to my degree studies. However it can be considered essential life skills when buying home appliances in the future. I have advanced on my excel and excel analysis skills throughout the year, which will be vital in my future career. Office skills were another important aspect to develop on and have on my cv. I have further progressed in my presentation skills and communication.

My desk was in an open planned office area, amongst the PAs. So it was a very friendly and chatty atmosphere. We regularly had people stop by for small bits and bobs and having a general catch up with colleagues. The interns all generally got along and we all went to lunches together and for drinks after work. Since lockdown, amongst my team we had catch ups nearly everyday to ensure everyone was doing well and provide any support.

Overall the job itself was very organised. I was sent the contract about a week after confirming my acceptance of the role, and was in communication with the previous supervisor for a few months before i started. The only downfall was the lack of information given to the interns that live in their student housing, such as the names of the interns we'll be sharing with, local stores and transport links. This however is being improved on this year with a welcome pack for the interns who live close by.

The company had a variety of compulsory training that needed to be completed by all employees, regarding data protection, compliance and heath and safety. BSH also run intern training days to work on further skills which might be vital for our professional and personal development. I was always encouraged and put forward for any product based training to enhance my product knowledge, whether that was a full NEFF training day or virtual classrooms through zoom.

Currently there are no positions within my department that are open for me to join. However, i would happily be open to applying to different positions within the company or applying to a BSH office in a different country. My team have said that they will be very pleased to have me back in their company. Due to the pandemic, the company is currently not hiring more employees unless it's to fill currently empty positions.

In the company there were around 15 interns amongst the departments. We had intern training days at the beginning as an opportunity to get to know everyone, we had intern lunches everyday to further socialise. Outside of work we regularly had drinks after work, had movie nights and made it a point to go out for each others birthdays. I am happy to say that i have definitely made life long friends throughout the year.

Wolverton is not an expensive area to live in, the gym membership or regular shopping are not extortionate expenditures. The Milton Keynes centre consists of many restaurants which are priced the same as anywhere in the midlands. Milton Keynes being just north of London, you can easily get a train to central London for around £10 off peak. As well as going to Birmingham and Northampton. This gives you even more possibilities to socialise in different areas and explore.

There is a small quirky pub across the street from the student houses which is frequently visited by the interns. It is a great location to socialise outside of work that is also very close to your bed :) In general the bars and nightclubs are adequate but there is definitely not enough variety to entertain a typical clubbing student. You can always substitute for escape rooms, restaurants, indoor skydiving or take the quick trip to London.

BSH runs a weekly fitness class on Mondays and a Yoga class on Tuesdays that is open for all employees to join. These went to online zoom sessions since lockdown happened so that people maintained a sense of normality. Unfortunately the company does not have any sports teams or charity events that i was aware of to get involved in. I recommended that that might be something that they should get involved with to get different people involved.