Internship Review at The Joseph Rowntree Foundation

The Role

Role Description

Working to review all the corporate policies and procedures that were availiable at the JRF and making them more accessible to staff.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

A fascinating insight into working life. The people were so welcoming and the offices are perhaps some of the best anywhere (you are after all working in Rowntree's old house in the outskirts of York).

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Very friendly and welcoming. Everyone's office door is always open so you can just walk in and ask as many questions as you like.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Really supportive, always concerned about what you wanted to get out of the internship and the best way to support you with this.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Depends on what you want to do. There is A LOT of freedom but office hours are so flexible it's not even true. As long as you finish your job then timing is not a real issue.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Quite a lot. I was responsible for material that was going to be distributed all over the whole organisation (i.e. 700 people)

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Really good skills. You can really taylor your internship to what you want to happen with it

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

Not neccessarily a fun environmnet but there are quite a few other 'interns' around so there are usually drinks on Friday's. A very quiet office atmosphere but equally very enjoyable

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I was working on one project from start to finish so it meant that I could control what was going on from time to time and choose which direction I wan't to take it in.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

Did not attend any courses but recieved really good career advice from a lot of the people working there which has helped me decide what I want to do in the future

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

• Flexi Time
• Sports and Social Club
• National Travel
• Company Parties/Events
• Travel loan

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

If you do well you'll get a job although there isn't much chance of quick promotions

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Depended on what you made of it. York has a great pub scene so if you got into that then it was good.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

JRF can provide it's own accomodation to new interns if they aren't local to the area (and it's very cheap). Typical pint in York is at least £2.50+ so can be a little on the expensive side of things.
NB York is a tourist city, you will see plenty of them

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Some good nightclubs, but sometimes weekend hen/stag parties take over a little too much at the weekends

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

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 4/10

Not too much. There was a social club that offered tickets to local theatres etc, but not much more.

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?

If you get on with the people there and get stuck into your project then you'll have a good time. Also there is a park next to the office that is owned by the JRF. Plenty of summer picnics at lunch!!!

Review 2/2 for The Joseph Rowntree Foundation

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