Commercial Analysdt Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the way Centrica managed to adapt the internship given the Covid-19 pandemic and was impressed by their determination to do this. The virtual sessions were interactive and engaging and I learnt a lot about the company and role. The excel training was really enjoyable and I really appreciated having the onto one time with my mentor. The context of the tasks also really enjoyable, which kept me engaged whilst completing it. It was definitely enjoyable and I would recommend it.

The fact that Centrica made the effort to run the virtual sessions and asked for our opinions on the sessions we would like to see made me feel highly valued by my colleagues and like our interest in the company was important to them. I didn't feel valued as in doing any work that was valuable to anybody but that was understandable due to the corona virus situation things had to change. Unfortunately I did not manage to meet many people within the wider team. However, I did still feel valued that my future with Centrica was important.

Support was given about the direction of my career and what a future at Centrica could look like. There was plenty of contact through the virtual sessions from lots of different people in the business regarding what working at Centrica could be like. Details were given on the kind of day to day tasks that working at Centrica could entail. There was information and support on the wider business goals. Through the virtual sessions there were plenty of opportunities to ask questions. I also felt I could ask questions at any time.

On a daily basis I was not very busy. However, this was understandable due to the fact that the internship had to change it's format due to covid-19. There were regular virtual sessions to give plenty of information about a potential future with Centrica. These sessions were regular enough to feel engaged with the company and scheme however did not require a huge commitment. I appreciated this because it meant I could work and complete the sessions.

There was no responsibility given to me directly during the summer. Obviously this was unfortunate but again understandable as we were unable to be in person and the virtual sessions were spread out over the course of multiple weeks. I would have liked to have been given more responsibility and perhaps completed tasks that would make a valuable contribution to the company, however, the tasks were informative and gave a good overview about life at Centrica. This was potentially more value in terms of helping me to decide on a future career with Centrica.

Multiple aspects of the scheme will be very useful to me in degree and hopefully a future degree. I found the excel training extremely useful and it has really developed my confidence with using the software. The time spent with my mentor was really valuable to me as I was able to ask questions and the training was tailored to my level which was ideal. The training task was also very well explained and accessible and it was great to be able to practice my skills. I know feeling g more confident with excel will be valuable for my final year at university when completing my project. The virtual sessions were also valuable in helping me to make decisions on my future career and where I want to work.

Unfortunately I was not able to go to the office due to corona virus. There was however, a good atmosphere on the virtual calls with most people having their cameras on and being confident to chat. This was obviously sometimes a bit awkward because meeting new people online only is a new situation for everyone. However, on the whole there was a nice atmosphere. There also seemed to be a nice relationship between the people running the sessions which suggested to me that an atmosphere in the office would be good.

The internship was well organised I felt. We were notified quickly as soon as the decision to run the summer was made. We were always kept in the loop with how things were changing which I really appreciated. I also really liked that we were asked the kind of sessions we would like to participate in and that changes to the programme were made in accordance with this. When sessions were organised, it was clear when they were and the content and how to access them. The structure of the sessions were also clear.

A fair amount of time was invested in my development I felt. The excel training was particularly useful and nice to have time invested in me. I really appreciated being given one to one time with my mentor and that made me feel like my personal development was invested in. It would have been nice to have more skills invested in me however, I understand it was a challenging situation. More time learning corporate skills would have been really appreciated by myself.

The future employment prospects with the organisation and very attractive to me currently. I feel the virtual sessions gave me a real insight as to what a future career would be like with the company and what I would be doing on a day to day basis. I also feel more familiar with the kind of company Centrica is and how it operates. This is good to know when considering a future career with the organisation. I also understand that there is definitely the opportunity for future employment with the company as a result of the internship.

The social scene amongst other placement students and colleagues was not great. This was obviously due to the corona virus situation meaning we were all online virtually the whole time and never met each other in person. It can sometimes be a bit awkward meeting people through the screen. However, when we were on calls together everyone seemed nice and friendly and got on well. It obviously would have been better if everyone could meet in person but I'm sure this would have been very different if Corona virus had not happened during the pandemic.

I did not have to move to another area because the scheme was running virtually due to the corona virus pandemic. This was obviously fortunate as it kept my living and socialising costs low. However, it was a shame to not be able to meet others and socialise in a new area but it was obviously completely understandable. I did appreciate being able to stay at home during a difficult time and the security this gave me.

There was no nightlife but this was because I stayed at home to complete the placement and it took place during Covid-19 so was completely understandable and not a reflection on the company or area the scheme would have taken place in. Obviously everyone in the country was in the same boat at this time and I liked having the security of living at home with my family in a familiar area during a difficult time.

Unfortunately due to corona virus there were not opportunities for me to get involved in outside of the organised scheme activities. Again this was understandable and I did not mind this.