Student Review

My placement truly exceeded my expectations with regards to the responsibility I was given and the opportunities I had. Not many people can say they worked with senior vice presidents, managed agencies across five European markets and presented to employees across campus during their internship.

Outside my job, the opportunities were endless. I was able to get involved in various activities and committees such as Race, Religion and Ethnicity (RRE), Boss Women and Drive Magazine. In each of these, I was always made to feel welcomed and my opinions were valued. For instance, I played an integral role in reviving RRE committee by developing a new logo and mission statement.

I received a lot of support from each member of the PR and Communications team. They welcomed me into the Enterprise family from the very first day.

No day was the same on my placement. I quickly became aware that my placement consisted of learning by doing, not by making coffee all day. Some of the projects I worked on included, the creation of a corporate communications resource centre, managing the internal communications calendar and posting content to the employee mobile app. During the early months of my placement, I helped the team deliver a digital campaign to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary in the UK.

Throughout my placement, I was given a lot of responsibility. For instance, I single-handedly managed a joint event with one of Enterprise’s longstanding charity partners, FareShare. This included securing employee volunteers as well as preparing remarks on behalf of the Senior Vice President. Leading this event further highlighted that even as an intern I was still given so many opportunities to expand my experiences and learn about all aspects of the business.

My placement at Enterprise has been truly invaluable, enabling me to put the theory I have learnt at university into practise. Above all, it has helped me to grow both personally and professionally. I developed a number of transferable skills, such as intercultural team-working, written and verbal communication, time-management, analytical and presentation skills. I am certain that these skills will enhance my employability and equip me in my future career.

The atmosphere at Enterprise was somewhere in between laid-back and formal. There was a semi-formal dress code and employees were expected to arrive at a certain time. However, Enterprise were flexible if there were occasions when you needed to arrive later. On Charity Days, we did fun activities like barbeques and quizzes, and employees were encouraged to dress in smart casual clothes.

My placement was very well organised. From as early as the assessment centre, I was able to speak with current staff and placement students. Throughout my placement, my manager and I went through a checklist of all the things I wanted to accomplish. Each month we would assess this together. Despite my placement being cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I am still very grateful for the amazing 9 months I had with the company.

I was selected as one of the 10 Enterprise employees to take part in the Cross Organisational Mentoring Circles (COMC) programme organised by Business in the Community (BITC). This 6-month initiative was designed to bring together peer level mentees from BAME backgrounds across different organisations and sectors, to maximise their full potential and to facilitate career progression. Programmes like this confirmed Enterprise’s commitment to employee development. This, in my perspective, is what makes Enterprise a great place.

While my placement gave me exposure in the Head Office, I am considering the Graduate Management Trainee programme as this will give me valuable, hands-on experience across customer service, sales, finance and operations.

I loved the unique culture at Enterprise where I engaged in fun activities such as weekly personal training sessions, campus beauty therapist treatments, crazy golf tournaments and Winter Ball. All of these made my placement more enriching and rewarding.

I worked at the European Headquarters for Enterprise Rent-A-Car located in Egham, Surrey, in the Southeast of England. There was a wide range of properties and rents. The average rent for a room in a shared house was around £95 per person, per week (£400 per person, per month). Egham is slightly less expensive than London. On average I spent around £60 per week on food and socialising.

While Egham is a small, quiet town, there is however a vibrant social scene within the surrounding areas. There was plenty to keep me entertained. From Richmond's parks, galleries, and shops to the beautiful Virginia Water Lake. Of course, London which was less than an hour’s journey away – the galleries, the museums, the shops, the bars and nightclubs.

Outside my work, the opportunities were endless. I was able to get involved in various activities and committees such as Race, Religion and Ethnicity (RRE), Charity, Boss Women and Drive Magazine. This was a great way for me to interact and connect with lots of employees from different departments.