Placement Year Review at Microsoft

The Role

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I enjoyed my job but it was hard work! I often stay late to get things finished.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I got on really well with the people i worked with, they were always really nice and friendly and tried to talk to me on my level

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My managers always encouraged me to do training and exams that were available to me which will help further my career in the future.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

There were some days that were a lot busier than others but overall id say the balance was just fine.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I was given a lot of responsibility on different projects, a lot more than i had even expected but i enjoyed showing what i could do and appreciated the chance.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I definitely learned a lot from my year on placement at Microsoft and would recommend it to anyone, there were free training opportunities, free exams to get certificates to help you gain different skills.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There were a few practical jokes that went on so there was a good rapport between colleagues. There was always someone around who would be willing to help of you had a question.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

It was very well set up, we were given a week when we first joined to get to know the company and other interns better. We stayed in halls of residence and had talks from senior business people from around the business.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I have taken advantage of the opportunities that were made available to me, i have taken part in training days and exams which were free to me.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

• Flexi Time
• Subsidised Canteen
• Sports and Social Club
• Subsidised/Company Gym
• National Travel
• International Travel
• Company Parties/Events
• Staff Sales/Staff Shop
• Working from home

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

If i had a job available to me i would definitely return. I think Microsoft treat their employees extremely well and interns are given the opportunity to take advantage of some of these opportunities when they work there.

Other Information

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

The interns went out every week together to different places and there was even a few parties and events that Microsoft put on solely for interns.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Relatively cheap, not as cheap as somewhere up North and as cheap as some students were used to but still very good for the area we are in.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

It was good, there were some good student nights but Reading isnt really the best known place to go out in, we tried to make the most of it though!

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

There are lots of different activities, there is something called challenger which Microsoft take part in every year which is lots of different team tasks in which they compete against different companies.

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?

Microsoft is a great place to work and they are well known for tkaing care of their employees, there are 2 great canteens that serve amazing food, there are free drinks, pool tables, xbox's to play on. And they treat the interns with a great deal of respect and give them lots of responsibility.

Review 109/109 for Microsoft

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