Talent Acquisition Summer Intern Review

Before starting my internship I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but in the end the experiences I had as well as the people I met during this time far outweighed any expectations I could have dreamed up. Although at the time I was only a summer intern I was treated like a member of the team and as an equal. The work and projects I was given were challenging, interesting and fun and I don't recall having one dull moment.

From day one I felt included, the second week of being there the team in which I worked had a team meeting involving a half a day meeting followed by a nice outing in London and dinner. Being treated like another member of the team, rather than just an intern, by being invited to this event made me realize how much they care about their interns. What strengthened my feelings of being a valued member of this team was when I once pitched an engagement idea I had to my manager and she told me to run with it and make it happen. I am now seeing my first idea come to life and hopefully it'll be an event that will continue to happen for a few years. Lastly, before my time with them was up my manager offered me to part time whilst I finish my degree, this made me feel like I had made a lasting impact and like I really was a valued member of the team. It was incredible getting to work alongside such a motivated and incredible team of people and I couldn't have felt more part of the family.

I found my manager to be extremely supportive. At the start she gave me all the guidance I needed, checking in with me frequently and making sure I wasn't struggling with anything so that I would feel comfortable coming to her if I had any problems. Then when she thought I felt comfortable and competent enough she checked in less frequently and told me to come to her if ever I needed anything, we also had weekly catch-up sessions for general follow-ups on work. I couldn't have asked for a more supportive manager, her trust in my abilities was what me push myself at work and realized my potential.

My work load started off a bit slow in the first two weeks but that quickly changed. I don't recall having a single day where I thought I had no work to do. Some days felt a bit more hectic than others, but I thrive under a heavy work load so to me that felt like a perfect balance. My manager also made it clear to me that I could ask for more work if I felt I had capacity and always checked I was managing alright before asking me to take on another piece of work. I also found that 90% of the tasks I was given were really enjoyable and interesting ones ranging from research work to hosting meetings with external individuals.

I was given a perfect amount of responsibility. At first I was worried I might have been give too much, getting to lease with some important people and being trusted to get vital work for deadlines done on time. However, being trusted with such high caliber jobs only meant that my manger trusted in my abilities and saw potential in me, which only motivated me further. She also made it clear to me that I could ask for help if I ever needed it to make sure I never felt overwhelmed.

Already during my internship I felt a change in who I was in the sense that I noticed myself become more confident both as a person and in my own abilities. I've learnt how to approach people I admire and consider higher up on the ladder than myself and how to feel less nervous and panicked before hosting/presenting in a meeting, which has really come in hand at University as I now feel less anxious when speaking with lecturers as well as when presenting my dissertation work. My time management skills have also improved greatly both from my internship and now from juggling my studies and my part time placement in the same job. I find that I have become a more well-rounded individual through this experience and I couldn't be more grateful for all I've learnt from my experience at Siemens.

The general atmosphere was always rather upbeat. People seemed to leave their worries at the door and always come in with a smile on their faces. Everyone was also very welcoming when I first arrived. The people in the office could make your day even if you were in an awful mood or having a rough day because someone would always say something that would make you smile, and if not, then there would always be a good laugh at the lunch table.

I thought the placement was rather well organized, I think it would be much like having a professional job with them just with a bit more guidance at the start. It was nice that they had the team meeting so close to the start of my internship as this allowed for me to get to interact with my managers in a not quite so intimidating manner right from the start and helped settle me in better.

I got to take part in quite a few meeting and events outside of the office, some halfway across the country. In the three months that I was there I only had one week where I didn't travel to an external event. So, in term of monetary investment I could say they invested quite a bit, firstly for my pay and secondly for my travel expenses. A couple individuals also spend a week talking myself and two other interns through all the admin work, and there were quite a few training live meetings for anyone who didn't understand certain programmes. Furthermore, if ever I had a problem or question people were more than happy to give up some of their time to help me out. I really felt like the company and the individuals couldn't have done more for me and my learning.

I really enjoyed my internship. When I started to learn all the company does it made me feel extremely proud to get to work for them. I also found the job I was in really suited me. Before my summer internship ended my manager offered for me to part time whilst I finish my degree at University so I currently still work for them. I still feel as passionately as I did two months ago, both about the company and the work I am doing. Future employment prospects with Siemens are extremely appealing to me as what they stand for and all they do is exactly what I would like to see in a company, the incredible people I worked with just bettered that experience and strengthened those feelings.

I was only there for 3 months, but during that time I did get to spend some time with some of my colleagues out side of the office. There were two other interns in my team, so we made a few plans together which was nice. The graduate placement individuals also invited us out for a few events, so we got to know them and have fun with them some weekends.

Surrey isn't the cheapest are in England, rent is quite expensive and for a Northerner so is food. However I was extremely lucky to find a host family who were willing to rent out their room to me for almost nothing. So in the end, the most expensive part of my time there was all the food I bought. The company also had a courtesy gym, which meant I didn't need to waste money on bus fare or a gym membership.

The nightlife in the city centre was pretty bad to be honest. But a lot of people had house parties and if we really wanted a good night out we could just go into London instead. However, nightlife wasn't really the most important part of it all as by the time the weekend came around I would already have other plans to either go into London, cinema or shopping trips, or trips to Brighton and other locations near by.

There was a lot to get involved in. One of my colleagues was a part of an acting group, if I had stayed there for longer I would have probably joined. There were also many other activities to be a part of. Golfing, areal, dance, rugby, cricket, you name it. In the end the only problem for all that would be the traveling to those locations. If you have a car then you'd be fine, but the public transport wasn't the best.