Software Intern Review

I don't have much to compare this job to as it was my first real experience of proper work, but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. My job role was challenging and rewarding, the office was friendly and relaxed, and the perks and recreation opportunities were great.

There was just one occasion where I felt that my position as intern affected the authority of my opinion and input. Other than that I felt valued and respected, and I was given plenty of responsibility and independence, which shows that I was trusted.

I came into this job without any real coding experience, but I was taught and supported by my manager throughout, and I now feel confident in my coding experience. I was also given guidance for my personal development in the form of a Personal Development Plan and a formal performance review.

Towards the start of the year I was less busy as I was still getting to terms with all the business processes and I had to keep asking my manager for help, so progress was slow. As the year progressed, I became much more independent and efficient, so my work rate increase massively. Whilst I always had something to do, I never felt overloaded or stressed about a workload or deadlines.

I was given plenty of responsibility during my placement. I was asked to independently lead projects and towards the end of the year my manager was happy for me to present to or liaise with other teams without her.

The skills and disciplines I have learnt this year will definitely help me next year. I believe my mathematical mindset has developed and my work ethic has improved, which should prove vital for my final year of university. The skills I developed this year will help me in the future as they are skills that look very good on a CV.

Everyone in the office was very nice and friendly, there were plenty of internal marketing events which were very fun, and the work was never boring.

Overall the placement was well organised, but there were a couple of hiccups at the start. First, there was no formal system to get in touch with other interns so we could find accommodation. Second, it wasn't really clear what was expected of us at the start and our managers didn't really know what to do with us.

My manager devoted some of her time to training me, and the company paid for workshops and seminars that I attended. However, these were mostly for information or personal development, rather than qualifications or certificates.

The future employment prospects are good as they have a graduate scheme and are always looking to hire full-time employees.

The social scene amongst the interns was very good. There was quite a big group of us and they were all very friendly. However, the night life in the surrounding area was not as good as at university, but that it is the fault of the area rather than the company.

For the quality of the area, and in comparison to university, the cost of living was quite high. Rent and utilities were more expensive, as were food and drink. Socialising was also more expensive than university, but that is probably because there are no students in the local area.

The night life wasn't as good as at university, and it was more expensive. So overall it wasn't great but it wasn't too bad.

The company organise, sponsor, and fund loads of sport and exercise activities, and the opportunities are open to all.