Talent Acquisition Intern Review

My placement at Siemens has provided me with a positive platform for graduation that I could not have acheived anywhere else. The experience that I gained has taught me a huge amount that is invaluable to my future. It has not only progressed my knowledge of the professional world at a fast pace but was an opportunity to begin my personal development that has no doubt began to shape my future.

My team and those that I worked alongside have been extremely supportive throughout my year. They are on hand to help at all times but also pushed me to find the answers myself. As the time progessed people begin to rely on you for different things which is a huge accomplishment. There is no hierachy based on age or role and I have felt like a valued member of the team since day one.

Siemens have a fantastic performance management process that requires each employee to set themselves yearly targets. Whilst your manager will push you to think of beneficial targets as well as the necessary ones it is on you to think about what you want to achieve. Throughout this process my manager has supported me in achieveing those goals and pushed me into developing my weaknesses that I would previously of ignored.

The work flow from my role was always steady, there were defintiely highs and lows but the relation I had with my manager ment I wasn't worried about asking for more work. There was always something to be done and I appreciated the fact they didn't pile work on me until they knew I was ready for it. Outside of my job role there was also lots to get involved with such as CSR and project groups which are groups of people working on topics important to them (such as diversity) that are unrelated to their jobs and their performance.

I had accountability for a great deal of work and my team definitely relied on me to get things done. My role required fast response and this could only be done by delegation of tasks by my manager. At the same time, I had no prior experience before I started so levels of repsonsibility were the role of my manager which I can only say aided my learning experience to be able to learn and understand the requirements of the job.

I have defintely developed skills for life in my time at Siemens, as one of my first corporate roles it wasn't just the job I learnt about but the company and how a global business works day to day. These skills can be transfered to any job in the future and so are cruical to moving forward. On top of this the personal skills that I have been able to develop at Siemens through the support of my team will no doubt assist in my future.

There are around 500 employees based at head quarters so its a large site with 4 buildings, the office I'm based in houses our CEO and CFO so its quite formal in the sense of business dress but its all open planned and generally very busy. Working in HR there is a lot of confidential work that occurs so sometime the atmosphere can be quite serious. There are alot of graduates and interns based here but in my day to day role I don't tend to see or work with many of them

From my start day I've had no real issues with any element of my placement, from attending the assessment centre to the exit process I've had a really great experience. I think a great deal of this was dependant on my manager and their organisation but generally because interns are here for such a short time it makes sense to be prepared.

In terms of my personal development this is to some degree monitored through the performance mangement process which really helps to understand how much progress I am making. When I first joined I talked with my manager about what I needed to improve which made a big difference as they where then aware of my weaknesses and made sure I took part in every opportunity to develop this. In terms of general training I was well prepared for my role and always given appopriate training when needed.

Siemens are very aware of the skills shortage and the task that is on their hands for the future. They're keen to build a strong talent pipeline into their business and so opportunities for the future are 100% available but it's all in your own hands. An internship is an extended interview and should be treated this way by the student, you have to prove that your worth the investment and it will happen, but your input into this is key.

Siemens have a lot of sites across the UK and there are graduates and interns based in all of them so there is a brilliant network wherever you go. On top of this the work life balance at Siemens is huge part of the culture so social events between teams are common. You have to make yourself known to it though, Siemens is such a big company it's not going to hold your hand and show you everything.

The headquarters is based just outside of London so the cost of living is quite expensive but there are cheaper areas to live in. However because you are so close to London the social side of it is great as there is always so much to do. Some of the sites will have shared houses between the grads and interns so its always worth checking with your contact to see if this is an option for relocation.

Living just outside of London (40 mins via train) ment there was a very busy nightlife but that is the expensive option. There are lots of local clubs, restaurants and bars that are always really busy too and places like Reading are really close. Surrey is generally quite busy with big companies corporate offices so you may find friends that are on placement are quite close by.

It kind of goes back to the social scene question - there is but you have to make it happen. Siemens put on a few events a year for employees and there are always CSR days going on that are easy to get involved with. Most people will be busy on the weekends with family or travelling home so I would say most stuff happens during the work week.