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
The work was relatively challenging and so I always felt like I was learning something, which mad the work rewarding and enjoyable.
I was always trusted with work, so I felt like part of the team. Being given the chance to chair team meetings also made me feel valued.
I was always given help if I asked for it, and I always felt as though I could ask questions if I needed to.
Some days were extremely busy and others much more quiet, but that was something that came along with the work that my team did.
To start with I was just familiarising myself with the processes, but after this I was given real work to do, that had to be done within deadlines and was used in the company's reports.
Some of the workshops that we did, such as presentation skills, will always come in useful. The actual work I did was more specific but the whole internship gave me valuable experience of working in a big company.
The Company
There was a general working atmosphere but people were friendly and chatty at times as well.
The internship was very well set up, with a welcome day beforehand to allow us to get to know the other interns, and to give us more of an idea of what to expect. During the internship, regular meetings with my manager and stream head meant I could always express my thoughts. Various intern development programs throughout the internship also allowed us to develop other skills such as presenting.
As previously mentioned, the intern development programs were extremely insightful. The company had clearly invested a lot in creating engaging events that allowed us to develop our skillset.
Subsidised Canteen
Above 25 days holiday
Healthcare/Dental
Standard Life is clearly a company that invests in its graduates; the rotations are designed to give a broad overview of the company and provide a wide range of skills, which makes the graduate scheme extremely appealing. The actuarial study package is also very competitive,
The Culture
Most of the interns lived in the same apartments so it was very easy to socialise, We ate lunch together most days as well, and socialised on weekends.
Edinburgh isn't the cheapest city, especially during the summer months, but there were plenty of reasonably priced options.
Edinburgh has a variety of clubs, bars and pubs so we were never short of places to go. During the Fringe especially, there are countless options.
Being in Edinburgh during the summer was a great opportunity as there is so much going on, and combined with a large group of interns, most of whom were keen to socialise, this meant that there wa salways something going on!
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Scotland
August 2014