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
There was so much that I could involved in beyond the normal day to day job that I had. Even though I was primarily in a finance role, during my placement I was able to get involved with audits on two ocassions. Something that I found really useful for my final year!
Even though I was the placement student, I didn't feel like I was treated like one. The team that I had really valued the work and effort that I put in. In negative situations, I was told I was wrong and had clear explanations, and in positive situations I was commended accordingly.
There was a good amount of support given to my managers, in instances where something was unclear they would explain it. Although, there was a expectation to do work by myself and be left alone to complete it within the time frames, this was good so I could get on with it and did not have to be micro-managed.
There were up and down periods throughout the year. There were times, where it seemed like not enough hours in the day, others where it seemed too many! All in all, most days I had something to do and improve. In some situations it was good, it allowed me to think of how I could solve some problems that I saw with my work and the processes.
There was a good amount of responsibility that I was given throughout my placement. Essentially after two months, I was in charge of managing two processes end-to-end. This meant that people were actively relying on me to provide guidance and information, as well as being the go to person if they had any queries!
There were a lot of things that I have learnt on my placement and I feel as I am going through my degree studies, the theory and practice is all starting to click into place! In terms of transferable skills, I have developed a lot more as an individual and I believe that this will help me in my future employment opportunities and graduate job searches!
The Company
As this was a fairly flexible office, it varied from being quite busy with loads of people to not very many. My team was quite remote, so when we were in the same office, it was always a good laugh.
It is really well structured, there are two sides to it. There is the professional development side to it, the sort of career development aspect of things. Then there is the day to day job that comes with it, even that has a lot of learning opportunities. Overall a really good job!
We had regular work appraisals, at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 month presentation and final review write up. In addition to this, there were a number of skills roadshows that we could attend, to improve our employ-ability and CV skills.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
Company Parties/Events
It is difficult and a rigorous process but giving it a go shouldn't be too bad.
The Culture
With about 30 other students in the office, there was never a really dull moment and there were always a lot of things going on. Regular team nights out were also good.
It wasn't too bad as it was outer London, a lot of places were fairly reasonably priced. The cost of living was also fairly reasonable.
You could make what you wanted of it, London had a lot of places ranging from the small bars and pubs to the bigger and more expensive clubs.
There were a number of different sports clubs in and around the area that you could get involved in.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Customer Service, Human Resources
London
March 2015