Engineering Intern Review

I really enjoyed my internship with Virgin Media, I was given responsibility over a few processes and I had a project that allowed me to mix what I learnt at university with the telecommunications industry, I also had a lot of support from my manager and opportunities to present to senior management.

I felt my colleagues appreciated my contributions to the team and I was able to pass on my skills in SQL and web development for those who were interested.

My manager was very supportive and checked in with me often to ensure I was happy with my work and was getting the support and development I needed. I was also assigned a buddy who was great and helped me learn about the network and provided support when I had queries I was unsure about.

I had 3 tasks that needed to be completed on a weekly basis and on top of that I had my own project which required a lot of attention so it kept me busy over the year, I also picked up smaller tasks which provided a nice change to routine and allowed me to learn to prioritise my work.

I was given a few tasks which affected customers if not maintained so I was given a fair bit of responsibility early on and allowed me to become an effective member of the team. My project was also solely on me and if I didn't work on it then it didn't progress so I had to be proactive and ensure it was completed by the end of my internship.

During the year, I developed my existing programming and personal skills. I had the opportunity to attend a Stakeholder Management course which provided me with the skill set to successfully manage my stakeholders. I also became better at prioritising my work, learning to work to a deadline and adapting to new situations/ tasks. I also attended Aspire's Trailblazing Leadership course which gave me ways to deal with situations and how best to maximise my skill set to be successful. These will all be useful for my studies and beyond.

My Internship was very well organised and structured. I was given the opportunity to use my existing skill level and learn about telecommunications. However, I didn't get my role description until I started which in retrospect was fine as it wouldn't have made much sense before I started and I was given the chance to discuss it with my manager and get clarity on what I shall be doing over the year.

I was sent on two personal training courses over the year, both were very valuable and I felt they developed me. Over the year, the group of Interns held bi-monthly meetings which allowed us to focus on areas of our personal development which we felt was required and I think this was also valuable. For an year long internship, I think I attended enough courses as it didn't interfere with my day to day work,

The transition from Intern to Graduate is very positive in the company and is something the managers are keen to see happen.

The social scene amongst fellow Interns/ Grads/ young people within the company was very good and we have lunch together as well as meeting up outside of work on evenings and weekends. A few people go on outings such as go karting and other self organised activities so I'd say the social scene is quite active in the company.

The south tends to be more expensive than the rest of the country so should be expected that rent and social activities will cost slightly more. However, the salary for roles is in line with the cost of living and shouldn't be an issue.

Hook isn't known for it's nightlife but there is plenty of country pubs around and nice for a pub lunch! However, there's London 50 minutes away on the train and Reading is nearby.