Intern at Regional Directors Office Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement, there was something new to do everyday and I was constantly learning and being pushed my by line manager to talk to new people and do activities out of my comfort zone.

I felt very valued by my collegues. My line manager would always acknowledge when I had done a good job and collegues in my office were always interested to know what I was getting up to and done so far.

At the start of my internship I was given alot of support and guidance by my line manager, however as I built up my own confidence and gained new knowledge I was able to do more work independently. Even though I was able to carry out tasks independently I knew my line manager was still available if I needed help.

I found that I was not particularly rushed on a daily basis compared to some of the other interns I had spoken to. I would have liked another project to do that I could have worked on in between meetings at the start of my internship and I picked this up with my line manager in my de brief. After the de brief I was given presentations to prepare to keep me busy.

I was not given a lot of responsibility in the office, however I was trusted to independently carry out mystery shops and IDM assessments of branches once I had observed assessments with my line manager.

I believe I have become more confident in a professional environment and I think that along with the networking and presenting skills will assist me in presenting myself in the best possible way to future employers.

The atmosphere in my office was generally quiet and calm. There was not much of a buzz and no weekly socials that I had heard of from some of the other interns. I think this was because it was a small office and I was the only intern .

I always knew what I would be doing and where I would be going for the week so I could plan and prepare any extra work I was doing such as the charity challenge. The welcome event was very well organised and enjoyed by all.

I was able to complete courses on discover learning to help further my knowledge. Once I had expressed some interest in developing my presenting skills I was given the opportunity to do this by my line manager.

If i were to get a referral from my line manager I could apply for the graduate programme. This would be two years of training and then I could get the opportunity to roll off onto a job. I have spoken to many colleagues who have told me how they have been able to easily progress into different job roles within the organisation so there is potential to progress.

There was not a good social scene in my office but I think that was due to it being a small offfice where I was the only intern. Also many of the colleagues would be out on branch visits ect so not everyone was always in.

I was living at home so I was able to save money and didn't find working in London too expensive. However, going out in London is very expensive and I wouldn't be able to afford it more than once a week.

London nightlife is always busy. There are many things to do and most places are open till late and offer student discounts. I worked on Oxford street so it was only a short walk away from some of the most popular bars and restaurants.

I participated in the scholar charity challenge and also the retail emerging talent challenge. I will also be attending my teams day to make a difference day and I have been volunteering on the weekends.