Customer Operations Process Analyst Review

I enjoyed my internship increasingly as the weeks went on. The first couple of introductory weeks were less enjoyable as I was just trying to settle in and understand the language and jargon used, however by the fifth and sixth weeks I was well stuck in and beginning to look forward to coming into work. By the end of the placement I was thoroughly enjoying myself and was sad to leave.

Due to the constant positive feedback I received from my manager and other colleagues it would be hard not to feel valued. I presented back what I had been working on to various stakeholders and colleagues and they were very encouraging and made me feel extremely valued, to the point where I was asked to stay in the office!

My manager was extremely supportive and from day one has given me clear guidance on what I was doing and how to succeed in my project. He was very patient with the amount of questions I aked and if I ever needed help with something he would be willing. Whether or not it would because he sat next to me or not, he was really very supportive at all times

How busy I was depended on various points along my time on the internship. At the beginning I had very little to do and at some points was a little bored, however once I had been allocated my project I was almost always busy meeting people. Towards the end however, once I had finished my project the work load decreased again and I was not busy at all.

I was given complete responsibility of my project and although I could have as little or as much direction I asked for the success of the project was entirely my reponsibilty. It was also down to me to organise any meetings to present back my findings and share my results with key stakeholders and management which I felt was a significant responsibility.

Not only did I develop my presentation, data analysis and stakeholder management skills the placement also identified what are my strengths, weaknesses and what I enjoy and what I dont enjoy. This will definitely help me in the future as I will be able to identify which job roles and which careers I will be good at and what I will enjoy, as well as identifying what I need to work on in the future.

Because of the nature of the office (being a contact centre) there were constantly people talking on the phones and talking to their colleaugues, which meant at no point was there silence. This created a more relaxed atmosphere but with a good buzz to work in. The open spaced nature of the room made it easy to connect with people too.

Very organised, my manager set out a timeframe of the work I would be doing and when I would be doing it. The graduate team who organise and faciliate the placement were very good at letting me know about my accommodation, expenses, pay and anything else I needed to know. They were also great at organising all the interns to meet and devleop together

The graduate team organised 3 things that really helped with development and were a huge investment on their part. Firstly the induction day which welcomed all the interns and set the scene for the next 10 weeks, secondly was the development day which was not only very good fun but also hugely beneficial. Lastly the More Than Words presentation skills work shop which was very useful.

The only thing that would put me off applying for the graduate scheme is that their are few placements based in London and that is where I would like to be based. However I do think that the organisation offer very good development and support as well as future prospects and increases in salary and really great benefits.

Unfortunately I was the only summer placemet student based in the Edinburgh office so I had little in the way of friends or people I could socialise with. Although my colleagues may have socialised outside the office, they were all a lot older than me and therefore I couldn't really get involved. I would have really appreciated another summer intern being placed in the same office as me.

One of the best things about Centrica is that they provide accommodation, and very high standard too. So in terms of accomodation costs, what would usually be quite high was provided by the company. Living costs are fine, although I am from the area so am used to the costs of socialising in Edinburgh and the surrounding area.

I was placed in Edinburgh througout the duration of the fringe festival, so the city was really busy and had a great atmosphere. This meant that the nightlife was very good and it was very easy to find somewhere to go. Although my office wasnt located in the centre of the city, but it was only a short bus ride away from the main nightlife attractions of Edinburgh

There were very few opportunities that presented themselves to me directly. A lot of my colleagues were members of the gym but other than that there was very little to do in the surrounding area without venturing into the city centre. It may have helped if there were other summer placement students I could have joined with to find activities but unfortunately that was not the case