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
The internship got better as time went on. It's important to note that at first you aren't likely to enjoy it due to being new and not really knowing what you're doing, but it does get more enjoyable once you start to build relationships with people and understand your work.
Trusted to work on my own projects and roll these out. Teams were relying on my projects to keep themselves informed about performance etc so I would say I felt highly valued by these people. Sometimes I did get treated like an 'intern' rather than a standard employee, but that's expected.
My manager was absolutely brilliant. It is important to clarify your objectives with your manager and possibly change the scope of these objectives to ensure the support is correct. Providing both parties are clear with your direction, then most managers are very helpful at BG.
Work load varied hugely given the fast moving nature of Customer Relations. Some days would be quiet however other days there would be lots of changes that would all happen at once.
I was responsible for leading my own engagement project and learnt valuable lessons regarding what being accountable for projects actually means. I was made accountable for all the work I produced so I would say that I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement.
I think more importantly than the practical skills developed, the biggest development for me has been on a personal level. Coming into such a big company can be daunting at first but being put into this situation has grown my confidence and now I feel a more well-rounded person.
The Company
I was lucky enough to be located in a contact centre in Leicester which was lively and friendly. This was a lot better for me than being stuck in an office on my own while managers were out meeting clients, and made going into work much more enjoyable.
I didn't seem to have clear objectives at the very start and felt lost for the first few weeks. I think given the fast-moving nature of where I was working, things came up and were constantly changing so it wasn't a case at the start of the placement that I was given one project and had 10 weeks to complete it. Therefore, it didn't seem as organised as other internships.
I feel like the company has invested a significant amount in my development. From days spent with other interns to my managers involving me in senior meetings, we were exposed to various situations where I developed on a personal level.
Subsidised Canteen
I would say the future employment prospects within the organisation are very appealing. The graduate scheme is well recognised and gets good reviews from current graduates so would certainly recommend. The job roles available after the graduate scheme is a bit of a grey area.
The Culture
If I was based in Staines or Windsor I would certainly be giving a high mark for this question as I know the majority who were based there had a great social life. However, I was based in Leicester pretty much on my own so at times it got lonely.
Free accommodation which helped and Leicester is a relatively cheaper area than London.
Due to travelling between Oxford and Leicester I didn't really have an opportunity to go out much.
If you make contacts with the right kind of people at your offices that have similar interests then I'm sure there is opportunities. Alongside this, there was the opportunity to get involved in charity work which was highly recommended by the company.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Business Management, Customer Service
East Midlands
August 2015