This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
-
The Company
-
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 sufferd a lack of variety in my work, though it is important to note this was not the case for every intern, it depends entirely on the project/role to which you are allocated. I am not suited to the technical nature of work within the IT industry. You will be glued to your laptop for the duration of the internship!
If you work hard, make sure that you make their life easier rather than becoming a thorn in their side and don't forget to chill out and make friends with them then everyone is really friendly.
I received all the help and support that I needed.
Depends entirely on your project/role. You will generally experience at least two different projects during your placement.
They treat you as any other analyst in the company, you will not be fetching coffees.
I have picked up incredibly useful Microsoft Excel skills, the ability to network effectively and how to work in a corporate environment, interacting with clients and with senior leadership.
The Company
When you are in the office you are there to work, of course this depends on your team but make the effort to socialise and attend/organise events outside of the office and things soon liven up.
The process of allocation of roles on projects within the company is not ideal, you may not be aligned to an area in which you have an interest.
There was an indispensable MS Excel course at the beginning which proved very useful. Other than that there is plenty of great free online resources and training at your disposal but you must find time to sign up to and complete these yourself. You can do these during work hours, if you ask then your supervisors will be able to accommodate this.
Subsidised Canteen
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
Company Parties/Events
This is purely a case of personal preference. Don't let this put you off!
The Culture
All the interns connected on Facebook, went on nights out etc. DO NOT get together and sign a contract on accommodation in London as this will be expensive and you may be working out of town for half the week.
Rent can be expensive, look around and sofa surf if possible!
Pretty decent but expensive.
You must be very pro active to get involved with these. There are plenty of societies/clubs etc to get involved with but bear in mind you may want to use your weekends to do stuff and chill out!
Details
London
April 2014