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 was given a great variety of clients and engagements to work on and I was given challenging and genuinely value-adding work on all of those engagements.
Given the fact that the application processes for graduates and interns are identical, you are treated and respected in exactly the same way as any other newcomer to the firm.
There is a well organised support system (each intern is given a 'buddy' who is usually a recent graduate as well as a 'counsellor', usually someone more senior) which ensures that you always have an approachable source of information and feedback and that you do not feel lost. All of the managers I worked with were also extremely keen to make sure that I was well integrated and guided.
Pro-activity is key as in any large organisation but there is always work to be done.
I was allowed to participate in a significant way in meetings with major figures at major clients, this, amongst being trusted with other fairly major responsibilities, was great for my confidence and made me feel like a valued member of the teams I worked with.
The commercial awareness, insight into the sector and the firm's functioning as well as the more role-specific knowledge I picked up will no doubt all serve me well in the future.
The Company
General atmosphere is clearly a fairly variable factor but all of the teams I personally worked on got along very well and enjoyed a relaxed yet professional atmosphere.
The welcome week was fantastic in terms of providing us with all necessary information and tips, making friends with fellow interns and introducing us to the teams we were going to work with. Every stage of the process from arrival on the first day until the job offer process seemed thoroughly thought-out and well organised.
An entire week was devoted to everything from sessions with image consultants to lessons on professional communication styles and everything in between.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Got a graduate job offer in my desired department.
The Culture
A wide range of events ranging from those aimed just at interns to department specific to sports club socials. There were nearly 100 interns on my rotation alone and I've made some great friends from it.
Central London is very expensive. The cost of living also depends on where you live.
Central London nightlife is quite good. You will never get bored.
I got involved with one of the sports clubs and was also able to spent a day helping with the Bright Futures scheme (aimed at A-Level students).
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
London
June 2014