Business Solutions Analyst Review

This internship has been a lot of fun and a real eye-opener to working in a business environment.

Entering into the placement I thought I would settle in immediately and begin working on problems and coming up with solutions right from the start. However I came in with no knowledge of the energy industry so a lot of this placement has involved me coming up to scratch on this, only now - with 5 or 6 days left - do I feel I can really contribute in a helpful manner.

Working in a team within such a high pressured environment meant that my manager was never going to hold my hand through the placement, he did however provide me with a solid amount of guidance and supported me whenever I had queries either through answering them himself or sending me in the direction of someone who would know.

The work came in waves throughout the placement, I would always rather be too busy than not busy enough so 50% of the time I was content and had lots to be getting on with, however with the nature of my project there was a lot of red tape to deal with resulting in some dead-time which was frustrating.

The responsibility given to me was at a perfect blend, I worked closely with one colleague who would distribute work to me as and when he thought I was at a level at which I could complete it. To of piled it all on from day one would have left me in a position where my technical progression would of been stunted.

Coming from an engineering background it has been great to understand what goes on outside of the upstream environment in the energy industry, it is something that I will really be able to apply in my final year studies and in any career that I go into.

The office had a very professional feel to it, there was no-one cracking jokes every five minutes, but everyone was very pleasant and took a clear interest in my time at the company.

I can't fault the organisation behind the internship. I turned up on day one having been rung by my buddy, my line manager and my graduate programme manager. I was handed a laptop with personal login details, a compnay phone and was given my payroll number immediately.

The theme of the placement has been improving my employability, I have been sent on courses, work trips and all around the country for business meetings. However i think my greatest development has come from working in my team on a real life project.

Centrica as a complany seem to of got it right. A really strong moral foundation is built upon with high calibre employees. To me it really seems like the company is going somewhere and I would be extremely interested in considering a job offer from them.

One of the best things about this placement has been the fellow interns, I have made some great friends here and amongst other things have been to Ascot races and a weekend in Newquay with them.

Centrica provided the accommodation free of charge meaning we saved a lot of money from that. However Windsor as an area is hugely expensive and your bank balance will reflect that after a night out.

Getting into London is very convenient (one train ride) so there is plenty of nightlife available. In terms of Windsor there are only two clubs I am aware of, we have been to Liquid a couple of times but its not a spectacular night out.

Plenty of opportunities, I took part in both Centrica cricket and softball teams, its a great way to socialise and the standard isn't at a level that puts anyone off.