Internship Review at Standard Life

The Role

Role Description

Developed the competitor profiles that are used throughout the company to assess the competition. Created a metrics tracker that followed key parts of each company and plots them against Standard Life. Daily tasks involve helping out the team if any work needs caught up on and working individually on the above projects.

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The first couple of weeks understandably involved getting to know the company and doing general work. When my work started properly and I could get into my projects, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The internship has been fantastic, the work has been very satisfying and I feel I have made a difference.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I got on really well with both my close team and my wider team, everyone was extremely friendly and always helpful.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Both my manager and my mentor were fantastic support. They were really patient when I had questions and were always willing to help. My team were also a great support and would help me whenever possible.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There were some quiet periods where I had little to do and some days where I was manically working to get it done, but on the whole I had a good balance and could time my days well to make sure everything went smoothly.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I had 3 projects to work on for the duration of my internship, all of which were important to the company. I was given the responsibility of creating and completing them, but could always fall back on my team if I needed help.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

It will depend on my career as to whether or not the skills I have learnt will be useful. Most of the skills I have developed were in Excel, which I don't use in my degree, but may be useful later on in life.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

It was a good balance. There was always to chance to chat to someone in the team, but it was also easy to concentrate hard if necessary.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The internship was very well organised, with an easy transistion into the company.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

We had several "lunch and learns" when we had workshops on personal development, which were useful, and my indiviual team spent quite a lot of time training me in various tools for the use during my placement.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Subsidised/Company Gym

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Standard Life are an excellent company who really care for their employees. It would be a fantastic organisation to work for.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

There was a brilliant social scene amongst the interns, with socials almost every night and throughout the fringe festival. We all got on really well, which helped make the intership so enjoyable.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I was living in my own student flat so the cost of living was pretty standard. Since there are so many student places in Edinburgh, the cost of socialising was relatively low, but prices increased during the fringe.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Edinburgh has a brilliant night life. Living here already meant that I knew the best places to go out and the return of the fringe in August meant an increase in those.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

During August there were endless things to do and shows to see.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

I would thoroughly recommend this internship to anyone. Standard Life really wanted to make it an enjoyable and insightful experience and were very flexible in order to make it so. I was given projects that made the most of, and developed, my existing skills, and it was a brilliant chance to get an experience of the company.

Review 24/26 for Standard Life

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