Principal Investigator Review

by Frontier

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.8/5
  • The Role
    5.0
  • The Company
    4.5
  • The Culture
    5.0

    The Role

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

    • I spent 10 months working for Frontier in Madagascar, initially as an Assistant Research Officer and later as Principle Investigator on the Terrestrial Research Programme and can honestly say they were the best 10 months of my life.

    5/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • During my time in Madagascar I felt very valued by my colleagues and volunteers who were participating in the project

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • I felt fully supported by my line manager who was happy to discuss any worries or problems as they arose. He also held regular staff meeting with the team to keep us informed and give us the opportunity to raise any queries, in addition to more formal quarterly staff appraisals where progress was discussed and personal aims and objectives reviewed.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • My daily schedule varied, but on average I would participate in a couple of different surveys throughout the day, with time spent teaching species ID to new volunteers or staff members, and some time organising activities for the next few days. There were always activities to do, but plenty of time for relaxing in a hammock too!

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

    • I was given increasing responsibility throughout my time in Madagascar as I moved up from an Assistant Research Officer to eventually become Principal Investigator where I had overall responsibility for the terrestrial research programme.

    5/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • I had completed my degree before I went to Madagascar, but my time there allowed me to put the skills I learnt into practice, which has helped considerably with gaining further roles. I also learnt a lot of unexpected skills, such as how to cook a meal for 50 people on an open fire!

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • We did not have an office as such, but the camp we were based at had an excellent atmosphere.

    5/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • The project in Madagascar was very well run and organised.

    5/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • I received training prior to starting my role, and also ongoing training throughout my time in Madagascar

    5/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Sports and Social Club

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    National Travel

    International Travel

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Working from home
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • There are numerous opportunities for future employment within the company, across a wide variety of roles and locations

    5/5

    The Culture

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

    • Being based on a remote research camp, the atmosphere was friendly, with weekly parties in a local village and regular organised weekend trips to local national parks and areas of interest.

    5/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • The cost of living was very low in Madagascar

    5/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Being based on a remote research camp there weren't too many options for nightlife, but we had our own bar and organised weekly parties. The nearest town had several bars and nightclubs.

    5/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Weekend trips were regularly arranged to local islands, villages or national parks.

    5/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Business Operations, Logistics and Operations, Marketing, Science, Surveying, Voluntary

International

March 2015

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