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
Although my day to day activities were similar in structure, the content was always different. I really enjoyed this placement, and I really want to return to HP in a Graduate Position.
Regardless of whether you're an Intern, Manager or Executive. You're opinions are treated the same. I never once felt like the "Coffee Boy". I was placed in a business critical role, and was expected to deliver real results for our clients. HP invests a lot in its young people, and it is an honour to be one of these employees.
I had all the support I indeed and more. Although HP management obviously hold a senior position within the organisation, but there is absolutely no elitism in the HP Hub I worked in. Most companies talk of an open door policy. HP doesn't even have the doors. Managers sit on the same bank of desks as everyone else. You can never do enough for a good manager, and I could never do enough for my managers. I was assigned an Intern Manager, a Role Based Manager and a Mentor (2nd Year Graduate). I could turn to any of these people in a moment of need. Luckily, i never need to! But i know if I had to, I could easily have done so!
My daily workload depending massively on the amount if incidents raised by our client. Some days we could be very busy, others, completely quiet. However, there were plenty of other activities and smaller projects to work on.
As an Intern, I was surprised by how much responsibility I was given. Outside of my normal day to day activities. I was activity involved in the running of Graduate Assessment Centers to assess potential new hires.
Throughout my Internship, I constantly developed, both personally and professionally. Additional to this, I was successfully put through ITIL V3 Foundation and ESI Introduction to Project Management courses. Both of which are industry recognized courses from global institutes
The Company
My HP hub has a very large graduate community. There was over 100+ graduates based on my campus, the 4 Interns were welcomed into this community as if they were Graduates! Due to the layout of the office, casual conversations were allowed and encouraged. The mini pool table in the coffee/break area was always a nice touch to!
I am now the 4th Iteration of Intern at this site, and as a result, everything ran very smoothly. There are a few minor things that could have been a bit smoother, but I know that plans are already in place to improve this.
As mentioned in a previous section, I was put through ITIL V3 Foundation and ESI Introduction to Project Management. Both of these are industry recognised qualifications. There was the potential to advance onto ITIL Intermediate modules, but I simply ran out of time on my Placement.
Flexi Time
Subsidised/Company Gym
For the last 3 years, all Interns have been invited back to HP after completing their degree. I have yet to be invited back, but yet I still have near one month left on my placement. I would definitely like to come back.
The Culture
Due to such a large graduate community, in which the Interns were a welcomed part. There was never any shortage of social events! Nights out in the town centre. Because of the nature of our management team, managers have always been invited along to these events, and regularly attend! How many companies can you work for that lets you bump your manager off a go-karting track..
I've lived in Newcastle my entire life, I lived at home with my parents throughout my Internship. cost of living is relatively low in Newcastle. Having spoken to graduates and Interns who aren't from Newcastle. They tend to agree. Drinks in the local bars are always cheap...good bonus for Interns
We're about a 10min Taxi ride away from Newcastle city center. And everyone knows that Newcastle has good night life! No more needs to be said!
Due to the size of the company footprint at Newcastle site, there's always something going on, and if there's not, you're more than welcome to set up a club or group yourself. HP employees get involved and support their colleagues in everything they do. It's brilliant!
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Information Technology, Computer Systems Engineering
North East
June 2014