This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I really enjoyed the internship. I found it much more interesting than I expected and learnt a great deal during the course of the internship. The pensions industry is extremely diverse and the scale of the industry was something that I was previously unaware of.
I felt like a valued member of the office. There was plenty of work for me to be involved in and I was consistently completing important client work for my colleagues.
All my colleagues were extremely helpful and explained concepts very clearly and in a concise method. They were always willing to help even when they had urgent work and made sure that I understood the method and also answered any questions that I had.
I was generally very busy and there was always something to do. There were times when there was very little to do but in general there was enough to keep me going everyday.
I was given responsibility to work on important client presentations and also help out on valuations. Apart from that I was responsible for my time.
All the skills and knowledge I have picked up from this placement can be used in any career in the actuarial division.
The Company
One of the best working environments I have been in. The people at Birmingham are amazing, there are a range of different people and everyone gets on well with each other.
I believe it was well organised, I knew my role and was my objectives were from the beginning.
A full day initially plus help whenever you needed it. I did feel at times that people assumed I had more knowledge than I did. There is a lot to learn and you can learn only so much in six weeks. However I do feel more time could of been spent on training and improving our technical knowledge.
They said I will find out in a few weeks. Not sure if I will obtain a graduate position with them though.
The Culture
The other interns were very easy to get along with, always met up to have lunch together and discuss how we were doing. All interns attended all the socials so it was a good atmosphere.
Birmingham isn't too bad, plus the office is located in an amazing location.
Centre of Birmingham so theres always something going on.
Plenty of drinks after work, lunches and also football. There were always people organising something or another.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
West Midlands
August 2013