Procurement intern Review

I was involved in the buying of goods and services for the fleet at Centrica. This involved meeting with suppliers, analyzing RFP responses and monitoring performance from current suppliers. Also drafting new contracts.

Learnt how to use a lot of new software within procurement including Ariba and procureflow. I've been able to effectively manage relationships with various different suppliers- involving negotiating contracts and maintaining open lines of communication to resolve any issues. I have massively improved upon my excel skills, now being able to analyze procurement data and identify trends to e able to make informed decisions and recommendations. I had an independent project to analyze the minibus service at Centrica, which was an excellent way to provide me with responsibility and enable me to work independently to improve my confidence in my work

I was given a great deal of responsibility in my independent project. My manager trusted me to lead and hold meetings with external suppliers by myself in order to gather information and communicate the requirements of our service. She also trusted me to write a report myself on this whole project, and allowed me to present this back to the fleet director and other managers.

I felt there was a great amount of support provided from my buddy, who was able to schedule weekly calls with me to check how I was getting on every week. My manager was extremely supportive and was always willing to help. She did however work mostly remote, which was difficult initially to reach out when I was struggling with tasks. Also she only worked 4 days a week, which meant I had to reach out to other members of staff if I needed support when she wasn't working. Our talent manager was able to provide support throughout the entire placement. Ian was always extremely willing to help us, and would always reply to my messages extremely quickly if I ever needed help. He was also in the office quite frequently, which meant I was able to ask for help if necessary.

The company culture was great- everyone was really friendly. It was really nice to be surrounded by a large number of other interns who were all in the same position as myself, and I was able to make some great friends.

I really enjoyed my internship at Centrica- I feel like I've learnt a huge amount throughout my time here. I've really been able to develop my hard and soft skills, and overall massively improved my confidence working in a corporate setting.

Yes

Be confident in yourself and take every opportunity that you are given. Be proud of what you've accomplished, but also recognize your areas of growth and weaknesses. This company provides so many opportunities for development, that it's important you're able to acknowledge areas you could improve upon and make the most of this.