Building & Facilities Management Intern Review

My role was focused around the planning and implementation of small projects sitewide to improve the facilities. On a daily basis, I would attend meetings to discuss the status of the projects, and independently keep track of all facility change requests on an online system. My responsibilities varied throughout the year, but I was given full control of the management of a project from first design to final handover. I also had a presenting role within the BMW Group which allowed me to expand my network.

Throughout the year, my project management skills developed a considerable amount. I became much more confident in communicating with stakeholders, including internal colleagues, and contractors. I became better at accepting accountability when a project doesn't go to plan, and this helped me to focus on common errors in project management, and how to avoid these in the future. Before starting my placement, presenting was my weakest skill, I would get very nervous and would try to avoid it at all costs. I am happy to say that now I feel confident presenting, and aim to use it for constructive feedback.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement, with full control of my own projects. Some of these projects affected the whole business, and required a great deal of communication with other departments and general managers. In the early stages of my placement, I shadowed other members in my department, and helped where I could in the different stages of a project. Through this, I got heavily involved in large projects across site, and had to hold multiple client/contractor meetings independently.

I received a lot of support from my manager, and other members of my department. If I was struggling with my workload, they would help by distributing the work. If I was ever unsure about the technical details of a project, involving mechanical or electrical engineering (I studied civil), then my manager would run through the basics to ensure I had an understanding prior to going out for tender. Forming informal relationships with colleagues outside of work also helped with support.

The company culture was fairly relaxed. Throughout the year you get to know most of the employees on site, and so it is a friendly atmosphere. Start and finish times were flexible and so I was able to choose working hours which suited my extra curricular activities. As a team we would also meet up outside of work fairly regularly to ensure a healthy work life balance. The only negative is that most projects impact the directors and CEO directly, meaning stress levels and implications can be quite high if there is a problem.

I really enjoyed my placement. The intern culture was great, with roughly 60-70 interns per year. We regularly met up socially outside of work which helped with work life balance. The placement has helped me to develop skills which I couldn't in university, due to the real-world scenarios and consequences. I am now very confident that when I return to university I will be much more comfortable working in group scenarios and presenting, which will no doubt help me in my further career also.

Yes

The work environment is much more relaxed than you would think so don't be too stressed when going into your first day. When interviewing, just be yourself and aim to be as confident as possible. I would say that soft skills are more important to portray than technical skills. Living in either Portsmouth or Chichester will be great, they both have their benefits and the drive from Portsmouth isn't too bad. Just try to live with other interns as this will make your experience much better.