Internship Review at Standard Life

The Role

Role Description

During my placement I was involved in aiding the Service Delivery team cope with a large change within the organisation. My main taks pre-separation were to make sure documents and distribution lists were up to date. During the separation weekeend I was involved in making sure people could still get access to their system and applications and ensuring they had no further issues. After the separation I was the first point of call if the customers had any issues with their service and had to find out how to get the issues ironed out.

As well as this on a daily basis I was involved in keeping documentation up to date, learning about other teams within I.S, the incident process and getting an insight into project work.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

At first I strugggled to settle into the "office" environment and find my feet. However once a proper work plan was in place and I got myself to grips with the system and processes I really enjoyed it and thought it was a unique and enjoyable experience.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My colleagues were all very helpful and treated me like part of the team from day 1. Even employees without my direct team were willing to show me what they were responsible for and how it interlinks.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I felt supported in all areas of my work. I also had weekly catch ups with my aligned buddy and manager as well as a catch up with the Head of the IS scheme. This allowed a chance to openly ask questions every week about any area of work, business or general questions I had.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Most days I had the perfect balance of meetings to attend and work to carry on with. The first couple of weeks were slow however but this did not deter me as I knew the nature of my work meant I would be able to pick up more when I knew more.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

I had reasonable responisbilty for the events I was involved in. I was doing the same job as everyone else during the separation weekend. On a daily basis I was responisble entirely for my own mini project I had been given on organising communication sessions.

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 relation between my degree and the daily working of my placement were really close. It was a great chance to see this and develop the skills that will aid me in my final year of study. Communication. organisational, presentation, meeting and professional skills were all apparent in my time at Standard Life - giving me a chance to build and adapt on the skills I already had.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There were alot of good people within my team and surrounding teams. It was quite a lively office but at times when the workload is large a little more quiet.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

My placement was organised quite well however in the begininng stages it felt like they had not prepared for me being there. On the other hand this was sorted out during my 3rd week were I then had a packed diary and lots to fill up my time with. All documented in a work plan.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I would say the company invested a great deal in us interns. They gave us the platform to learn more about the organisatio, personal skills and technical skills.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• National Travel
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop
• Healthcare/Dental

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Standard Life is a nice place to work and I could see myself working here in the future.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Yeah during work and after works hours we made a point of having unofficial intern nights out.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I lived at home during my placement but Edinburgh in general for nights out and dnner is quite reasonable if you go to the right places and know the student deals.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Edinburgh nightlife is brilliant

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There were various social clubs to join and nights out to attend.

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 sum up my placement as fun, unique, challenging and educational. As an IS student I wasn't aware of the endless areas that could apply to my degree. This placement was structured in a way to give me the chance to see each area and draw conclusions as to if they were places that suited me.

I would also add that although it can be slow to start off with but give it time to settle in and you'll find it one of the most interesting and useful 10 weeks. I have learend a lot about the career development of an IS graduate and how to survice in such a large organisation with a substantial size I.T department.

Review 12/26 for Standard Life

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