Placement Year Review at HP

The Role

Role Description

Working as part of the TCE & Strategic Initiatives team within the Enterprise Business Group, the role is primarily responsible for creating, updating, managing, monitoring program sharepoints and web sites and assisting program managers with varied communication/administration tasks related to Strategic programs and Customer Experience initiatives.
This means working on any projects or events, creating and managing mailboxes and any other work required. There is also the requirement to travel to various European countries within the year.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I have really enjoyed working at HP so far. Everyone is so helpful, and you can learn so much. There is also a lot of other interns at HP, meaning there is a lot of social events throughout the year.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

If you work hard, you will see the rewards. I found colleagues to be very helpful and appreciate the work that I do.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Everyone I have worked with have been very supportive and helped me achieve my goals throughout my placement.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

It varies each day. Sometimes you will struggle to find much work you can do, other days you will have so much that you need more time in the day. The variety keeps it interesting though.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

If you want the responsibility, you will get it. I have had a couple of projects to run so far during my placement. However, on a day to day basis, you normally own a few tasks within a larger project.

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

The skills I have learnt during my placement will stick with me for life. At HP your placement is very much what you make of it. If you are keen to learn and develop skills, you will be supported in doing so. However, no-one is going to force you if you don't want to.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

In my role I am the only one in my team based in Bracknell. This means that there is the opportunity to work from home most days. However, it also means that you do not see much of the people you work with on a day to day basis. However, there are a lot of interns in Bracknell, so you are not left by yourself and the general atmosphere in the office is very friendly.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The internship is very well organised, as the team has had an intern for over 5 years now, and HP have been employing interns for a lot longer. There will always be some hiccups along the way, as you can't predict the future. But the internship at HP is very well organised.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

As mentioned before, if you want to learn a new skill or train, then the company will be willing to teach you. However, you need to be proactive in saying what you want out of your internship, or you won't get it.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

• Sports and Social Club
• National Travel
• International Travel
• Working from home

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

If you do well in your internship and get a recommendation from your manager, you will be fast tracked to the assessment centre for the graduate program

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

There are about 60 of people doing internships at Bracknell, so there are plenty of opportunities for socialising.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Farrly cheap, as Reading has a lot of deals for students. I do not know about living, as I lived at home.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

In Reading the nightlife is good. In Bracknell there isn't one (but Reading is a few mins away on the train).

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

There are lot of opportunities to get involved in activities, as there is a big intern community.

Review 95/95 for HP

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