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 had a really good experience during my time at PwC, I was treated well, worked with interesting people and found myself on projects it was easy to genuinely get motivated by.
From the start I was not really seen as an intern, but treated in the same way a graduate joiner might be. By the end of the internship I was considered very much as another member of the team, only different from my peers in experience.
I had a people manager who looked after my development the whole way through, and that was excellent. On a day-to-day basis I generally had good project managers who were willing to give feedback and involve me from the beginning.
I was busy all the time, and the hours were not short, but my managers were realistic and never expected anything unreasonable from me.
I felt like I was given increasing amounts of responsibility as I developed into the role, but with the right safeguards in place to ensure that I didn't have to panic about where my work would end up. Within the first few weeks I was in a client-facing role, which was a brilliant experience.
I learnt a lot about business in general, about a few industries in particular, and about working in a small team on a time-restricted project. I developed fast during the role (and had to) and the skills I learned will certainly prepare me better for the rest of my studies and life beyond, especially in consulting.
The Company
It was a friendly and welcoming place to work; everyone works hard but people are willing to help you out and take the time if you have questions or problems.
It was well organised and I was always busy, but other interns sometimes had periods of downtime. The internship-specific activities and events were fairly well-organised, but perhaps not that useful for my development.
Development was framed as crucial from the first day. I regularly met with a people manager to receive feedback on-the-go and establish what I could work on. The training at the start was well-coordinated, comprehensive and many senior members of the business took time out to meet us and guide us.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
I was made an offer to begin work there after I graduate
The Culture
We regularly met other interns for lunch, or went for drinks with them after work. In the first week there was plenty of socialising with other interns. Within the business there were regular Friday drinks and other socials.
Living and commuting was expensive, and the pubs aren't cheap, but it wasn't very often that the interns had to buy their own drinks!
There are some good bars and clubs in the area, it is London after all.
There were one or two activities outside of work that were going on, though I didn't attend any of these myself.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
London
July 2014