This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
-
The Company
-
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
I was lucky to find my self within a very dynamic roll, where i could focus more on things i enjoy and find interesting. It was very target driven and i felt that the work i was doing was of great importance
This varied throughout. Working with managers from other departments i felt valued, but sometimes I i felt i was second guessing myself when support lacked from within my own department. At times there was a sense that no matter how well i performed i would not get recognition for this. However this became better as the year went on and I voiced my concerns.
Within the company, there doesn't seem to be any set structure for placement. I found myself making my own decisions and seeking to expose myself to new tasks. If you are not self driven and curious, you will find it rather dull. Help was there if i asked for it, however it was a very "hands-off" approach. I spent time in other areas of the business purely through asking the connections i had made - however during this time i still had to juggle my normal duties. There was no evidence of the company wanting to develope my skills as a person, i was just there to do a job. That being said, everyone is very friendly and accommodating if you want to experience more than your job offers.
I found myself in a very important role. Having experience in the past, i quickly grasped the basics. However when a department restructure came up, i took on more rolls, more than what a student is normally permitted to handle. I found myself at high level meetings and having a tangible impact on the product that i can take great pride in. My work was challenging, but varied greatly. Occasionally during times of no production, i was not given any duties and found myself having nothing do do at all despite looking for work. However this was not a common occurrence. On the other hand, occasionally i found myself in situations where i was preforming roles that my managers did not fully understand how to do themselves. When work loads became hard to manage, i found myself staying late (unpaid) to try and finish as no one had a clear understanding of how to help. This was also evident when i took time off, there was no one who could fully step in to manage my duties when i was away, meaning i came back to a back-log of work. However overall i enjoyed the challenge of managing my work and duties.
I was given a huge amount of responsibility. Decisions i made and had an impact on have a direct affect on the product and the customer. However this was purely through the fact that i was driven to seek out new opportunities, wanting to make a good impression on as many levels as possible. However i enjoyed this independance and the fact i was not being constantly monitored.
I believe i developed more people skills, and communication skills than anything else. My job didn't require a massive amount of technical knowledge, and any that was required i had already known. Having to communicate with lots of important people from all other the world on a daily basis really challenged me to refine how i communicate ideas and convey information as well as understanding and developing information that was given to me.
The Company
The atmosphere in the office varied greatly. The presence of some management staff in the office had a tangible effect on the atmosphere. It was clear that a casual atmosphere was not permissible at these times. Several issues between other staff members also occurred during the year which really affected the work environment. However my role meant that i was flexible as to where i performed some of my duties. I made some really close friends within my office, and we had a strong dynamic relationship, but i feel productivity would have been a lot higher had it not been for the stringent and sometimes old-fashioned management style. I found myself spending time in other departments because of this.
As mentioned, there was no clear role or structure for the year. I merely took on the duties that were not being done by other members of staff. However i managed to make this work in my advantage and take on more roles which i did find stimulating. I took my managers position in high level meetings and helped out at high levels. However there was always the clear sense when i returned to my own department that i was there to do all the jobs that no one else really wanted to do. I thrived at this though, and never said no to anything which helped gain me some recognition.
There was unfortunately no evidence of a clear interest in the company to develop me as a person. I seeked out my own challenges and presented my goals to my manager. it was up to me to gain exposure and challenge myself. Recognition for this was lacking. There was also clear communication issues within the company when it comes to opportunities available for students, meaning many of us missed out on future schemes and training that we would have been interested in. The only support i had was from my own middle level manager, who i built a strong relationship with.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Sports and Social Club
Company Car
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
International Travel
Financial Bonus
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Above 25 days holiday
Working from home
Healthcare from home
Healthcare/Dental
Travel loan
I would be interested in returning to this employer and have had several propositions as to roles i could take upon my return. However i will first seek out opportunities in other companies at possibly a higher level.
The Culture
There was no company lead way for us to meet the other students. Myself with two other students were isolated from the other 25+, who all seemed to work quite closely. However upon introducing myself, i was able to make several friends who i met often outside of work.
The cost of living was very high. Much higher than expected. However Placement salary has now risen which should help future students (was not available to me).
Nightlife was Ok, varied choice of nice bars and several clubs. All quite expensive, but great atmosphere.
Not that i know of.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
London
August 2015