Change Intern Review

I did enjoy my internship in Standard Life Investment, people were really open to meet, discuss, give insights, to collaborate with our student project that at the end was something that will benefit them also. It was not perfect, because also there are cultural differences, I come from a different country and sometimes that didn't make me feel so much "fitted" but is a personal part of enjoying it, but as far as the company's part they did ensure we enjoy and feel welcomed, and no distinctions for being an intern.

Well integrated, valued by the ones who had interaction with us, really open department, flat structure no hierarchical differentiations. But the only thing is that if you are not formally introduced to some people or involved with them in a certain way they are not really willing to come to you, but I guess is part of everyone's own social skills.

Support was great, a lot of availability from or sponsor and even lots of insight from the Director of the Change Department. Even business people gave us valuable comments and guidance. Also having a "buddy" to meet once a week just to check how we are doing in general is nice.

It depends on the stages of the project, it has its ups and downs, because at some stages you are really just learning, reading, trying to get an understanding but then you have to gather information meet people and get much more busier, and then is also a part in between information gathering and then analysis and proposals where you get lost and have spare time, and then back in delivery is really busy again.

A lot of responsibility, the project was ours, we had sponsorship but really they trusted our criteria, knowledge, let us work and deliver what we were able to, and got feedback to also get the company expertise but really felt compromised and accountable for a great delivery.

I think this is the most valuable part, Im doing a master in Strategic Project Management and I was never in a change management area before or even just project management area, and being able to live the experience for 5 weeks of working on the change department of such a mature and successful company as SLI is really enriching for me, I think it gives me a better idea of what change and project management really works, if Im fitted for it, if I want to pursue my career on it and even in this industry or this company.

Excellent atmosphere, really good team, people with a really high level of professionalism, people/social skills, calm, quiet, you can really felt in a good mood to develop a project. The office was clean, bright, good facilities. People seem happy comfortable and really satisfied to work here and be part of this organisation and that is important in order to feel welcomed.

It was really good in general, but I think they lacked the introduction to the company, what to they really do, what is the core of the business, we were delivering a project for improvement of the change department because we got to know how this department worked, how they performed, identified gaps and delivered proposals but really didn't get to know how does Standard Life Investments Operates.

I think its really great the assessment centre day that they did to select us for this projects, even running the Gallup test which is quite expensive, and then when we were selected giving us a full feedback on our skills, competences, areas of weakness, strengths, area to develop and key competences we can adopt to perform better in the role we will develop. And even having continuous feedback and training from our sponsor, the director or the department, and people who we got information from and we asked them after to corroborate our findings, ideas, proposal for delivery, etc.

We were told several times that we are really welcomed to apply for a graduate program or any other type of placement, that they liked our job, our performance, that we are talented and skilled. Therefore, I think doors are opened, but nothing for sure, so it depends on future applications.

Yes, we talked to several of the graduates and they really liked working here, they enjoyed their job, the role they were performing, said payment was fair enough and that they are always being developed in so many areas, that is a company that really cares about the people side, about personal development.

I really don't get this question, but I think that it depends because for me personally 5 weeks is not so much time to socialise, and that there were also big age differences with the people in the department and that also makes it some times difficult to really socilaise with them, but as far as being polite, having a normal nice conversation with the people in the area was good. And if it is about really the cost of living here, well is a really expensive city and the internship was not paid so I kind of avoided going to much places after work because it had to come from my student budget and I am an overseas student,

There is really nice places to go around the area where I was working in, but they were expensive nice restaurants and bars so I only went to 3 or 4 and that was it, because as I said in the question above the internship was not paid and I cant afford paying for this nightlife and I even lived in the University Campus which is 45 minutes away by bus from my working place, therefore I don't go out much.

I found nice that they advertise the company's events in the intranet, and you can register for them even if you are just an intern, and I went to one company event where they where launching the new sponsorship from a rugby national team here, and it was a really nice place, amazing atmosphere, they do are opportunities and I think is an added value.