Internship Review at Standard Life

The Role

Role Description

Was given 2 independent projects to do over the course of the internship, as well as being given lots of talks about the business, and visits to other departments and offices.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

It was quite slow to get going, but after about week i really started to enjoy it. Was definitely worth sticking with it.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Everyone at Standard is really supportive, and will not hesitate to help you when you need it.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

My placement manager was fantastic - she made sure i always had enough work to do, and was able to do it.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I always had tasks to be getting on with from day 1 which was a great bonus.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

I was in charge of independent projects, as is the norm for the team i was in. I certainly had more responsibility than i had expected to be given to an intern.

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

Although my degree was not directly related to the placement, i found that i picked up many useful skills which have helped me.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Although the teams around us were really busy, there was still a great sense of fun and banter. We had icebreaker sessions at each team meeting which were great fun and really helped me to settle in and to get to know my team!

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

On the ground level, it was really well organised - my placement manager had put a lot of thought into the tasks that i would be doing. However, HR who dealt with the initial setup were a little lax - often missing by a few months the date that they said they would send out the next lot of forms, often asking for the same information twice, and they didn't even tell my manager when i would be leaving!

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

100%. They put on lots of sessions specially for the interns to ensure that they were fully informed about the business, and we were sent invitations to many presntations open to the whole company on a variety of topics. Very well thought out.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Healthcare/Dental

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

It seems like a brilliant organisation, but is currently undergoing a transformation directive which i'm not sure i want to be part of. The company is changing its business strategy away from its traditional basis, and it feels like they're going to leave behind customers which should be at the heart of the business.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

There were 12 interns, a brilliant number for going out as a group, and we organised to do many things after work.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Standard Life paid for travel, and accommodation throughout the internship, and the canteen was subsidised so living costs were very low.

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

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Edinburgh is a capital city :)

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Plenty of clubs, societies and work nights out.

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?

The pay for this internship is very low compared to other companies, even though you stay for 10 weeks. Also, bear in mmind that if you take the job you have to move to Edinburgh.

Review 9/26 for Standard Life

Previous Next