Information Officer Review

I have really enjoyed my year at BAT. It has had good and not so good moments, but overall it has been great.

I felt like my team really valued my contributions. I've been involved in quite a few projects around the business and I have always felt that people have respected my opinions and my contributions.

My manager has been fantastic. He's helped me focus my thoughts, and we've worked together on a couple of big department-wide projects. I can be a bit all over the place sometimes, but my manager has helped to focus that energy onto a few points where I can say I've helped make a real difference.

Between managing day-to-day things and doing department improvement work, I have been pretty busy. However, I've always been able to complete work inside my official working hours, so I'd say the balance was spot on.

I've been involved in various department-wide projects, including several novel ideas that I was allowed to try out. I've been responsible for reviewing several systems from suppliers, and have had the authority to reject them. I've also been involved in business requirements for a complete shake-up of how my department runs.

Although my placement may not exactly match my degree, things like people-skills and presentation skills are easily transferable and highly useful in the long term

My office area is pretty laid back. Although there is quite a lot of chatting, it never got too much, and the atmosphere was friendly. Everyone gets involved in jokes and the department is pretty close-knit.

The placement seemed to be well organised in the initial few weeks. After that, it was down to our managers and ourselves to organise us.

I've had the opportunity to attend quite a few workshops while I've been here, and I feel that BAT has invested quite a bit in me.

There doesn't seem to be a clear path for interns to come back to BAT, although this is probably being worked on! However, I've come to really enjoy working at BAT and would definitely not mind returning.

The interns have been out several times, for drinks or clubbing etc. My colleagues aren't really the clubbing type, although we've been to the pub a fair few times. It seems nicely balanced, and suited me.

Southampton is fairly cheap - £100 a week for bills/accommodation + food. Socialising is pretty cheap too. Not great, but not hideous.

Pretty poor. The only clubs nearby are city-center bars with dancefloors like Revs.

Not many that I noticed.