Insight Week Student Review

I really enjoyed this insight as I got the opportunity to network with many different employees working at BP, I enjoy networking as you can learn a lot from other people's experiences. BP could have improved the networking by including employees at different levels in the company as the majority of people were graduates. I also really enjoyed that the insight was held virtually as it was very comfortable to carry out in my own home.

As it was an insight into the company, no real work was carried out, and therefore it is hard to say whether I felt valued. The fact that the insight was held virtually makes it more difficult to measure. However the HR team were very friendly and always willing to answer questions, graduates happy to connect on LinkedIn and answer questions. The graduates said that they felt valued as they were not laid off during COVID and carry out valuable work which is a good indication.

For me I didn't really require support, I had a working space and laptop to carry out the insight. We also learnt a lot about how BP helps communities and minorities such as LGBTQ+, women, disabled people which suggests that ample support is provided to employees. However a lot of guidance was provided on the technical interviews and discovery days which makes me feel very prepared for interviews. Our application is also fast tracked for grad and summer internships so support is provided that way.

I didn't really gain any technical knowledge as it was more of an insight into the company and the work they carry out. The exact details and knowledge into various projects was not required. Although we did run through a mock technical interview where i gained an understanding of the level of detail that is required during interviews not just at BP but for other companies too. You learn more transferable skills rather than related to you degree and studies academically.

Although COVID became a big issue into the way that this insight is run, it was still structured very well. I received a call to say that the insight would no longer be held in person at the office, and due to ample free time provided by the lockdown, I liked that the virtual sessions were spread apart rather than all structured into one week. There was a wide breadth of topics discussed and I couldn't think of what else BP could have also covered in a virtual session.

As the insight was held online, probably the first time doing so, it was harder to engage with the presenters. It also meant that it was harder to network with employees and other insight students. In order to maintain a good standard bandwidth, students also turned off their camera. I think it would have been better to see the other students as well. However in general the atmosphere was very friendly and casual, when I expected it to be a lot more formal and professional.

Only two of the sessions focused on personal training and development as it was more of an insight into the company. One of the sessions was on confidence and public speaking led by two very well known news reporters, the presentation was very interesting and fairly engaging. The second session was a follow up of the first. Had the insight been held in person, I think there would be more opportunity for personal development through networking and engaging in the sessions.

The insight provided a lot of information about the company and all the benefits of working at BP. The communities, volunteering opportunities, networking, scholarships, grants, lunchtime talks, mentoring and more all sounded very appealing. We also looked into the day in the life of 8 graduates, which detailed the step-by-step routine while working full time. I wish there was more detail and insight into the work that the graduates carried out as they just gave a general overview.

This insight was very helpful in learning about the company culture, they have a lot of benefits of working at BP which I found very appealing. I learnt that almost anyone is able to fit into the company as they have such a wide range of roles. However in the engineering sector, it seemed like they hire the most qualified, experienced, and knowledgeable students which would trigger imposter syndrome, and this was actually mentioned by one of the grads.

The content of the insight wasn't very helpful in that regard as they didn't explain all of the different roles available and what they entail. However they did reference that they have a graduate role selector which is based off your university degree, and the consensus felt like you had to do your own research into the role that you are interested in especially as there are a few new roles that any university degree can apply to.

Paid an intern's salary pro rata.

Initially there were not any networking opportunities planned and with the insight being held online it made it very difficult to network and engage with other people. The HR team very able to arrange multiple networking sessions in small groups, although this is a different experience to face-to-face, I was very happy to see that they were able to arrange this. I would have liked to participate in more networking opportunities in different forms rather than just a Q&A, like a workshop.

Good as they were Q&As, but I would have enjoyed carrying out a workshop and being able to network with the other students as well.

Yes there are multiple activities you can get involved in, and from my understanding, the company is also able to cater to your interests in the work that you carry out and arranging activities. The activities ranged from more personal development training, talks and mentoring, to community projects on a local and global scale, sponsorships to attend conferences abroad and discuss sustainability on a global platform, volunteering projects, diversity and inclusivity support groups, grants to help start your own business, are a few that I learnt about.

Yes