Placement Year Review at GE Money Home Lending

The Role

Role Description

· Ongoing reviews and assessments with key stakeholders of the Project Delivery Process within Home Lending.
· Offering support to 4 Programmes & 30+ Projects.
· Ensuring Home Lending’s adherence to SOX, NSI and governance standards.
· Implementing and refining documentation to support this process.
· Management of a project tollgate process to regularly evaluate project progress.
· Help manage the monthly cycle of project exception reports to the Programme Review Committee.
· To help manage the assessment and prioritisation of new projects.
· Managing and maintaining the project documentation repository.
· Development of an automated online tool to support the governance of the project delivery process.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

During my placement I have gained some excellent skills and exposure to different areas of the business, working with Analysts to Senior Managers.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I have become a 'go to' person for project managers and other project team members to ask questions and give support throughout the project delivery lifecycle.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I was given excellent support from my manager at the beginning of my placement, and she was very focused on my personal development which was great. Towards the end of my placement there was a restructure and my manager changed, and I felt less support was given, although I felt more confident in the workplace in a way that I required less guidence in my work.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I learnt that I had to prioritise my work, so even when I was extremely busy, I knew what was needed first and could focus my attention on the more important tasks.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

During my placement I took on more and more responsibility, and by 6 months I took ownership of the tollgate process and other processes within the PMO, giving me full responsibility of them.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

At GE I was offered some excellent training courses, including Facilitation and Workout Skills, Presentation Skills and Influencing Skills (offered to all interns at GE Money Home Lending). I was also put on other courses, more inline to my career path, such as ESI Project Management Fundamentals and CAP Coaches.
My transferable skills improved greatly and I feel completely ready to progress my career from here.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

It was a fun office to work in in general, although towards the end of my placement when the restructure happened the general moral of staff went down.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

All interns were offered great support from HR Reps and we organised monthly meetings to discuss our roles within the business.
Interns are also given a 6 month and 12 month review, allowing us to identify our chances for improvement to achieve the best experience we could.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My manager was focused a lot on my personal development which was great, allowing me to utilise every possible opportunity. Training wise, I was sent on multiple training courses to help my transferable skills develop, as well as my career focused understanding of the job.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Although I would like to come back here, I would also like to work in other locations accross the UK, but it will definitely be an option for when I start applying for graduate roles.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

We tried to set up social events with all interns, but many did not attend. As I lived with 3 of the other interns, the social aspect was good, and I had a good relationship with many of the interns.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

London is not the cheapest place to live in the world, but it is fun and a great experience. I believe the wage here has gone up now, so it would become more affordable for many.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Watford and London both have a wide selection of bars and clubs.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

There were not many social activities, but many opportunities to get involved in charity events and the christmas party and summer fun day, all funded by the business, were great.

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?

Do not be afraid to ask questions and take on more responsibility. If you show you are keen and willing to learn, the more valuable experience you will get.

Review 16/24 for GE Money Home Lending

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