Summer Scheme Student Review

I had a really great time on my placement. There was a lot of varied work to undertake, some tasks were similar to others I had undertaken on other placements, while I also got to experience new tasks I had not undertaken before. Furthermore, the friendliness and openness of the team I worked with on my placement really added to my enjoyment of the four weeks.

I felt very valued. Although I was a student on a four week placement, I was treated as through i was a graduate beginning a job at Savills. I was given tasks that may be expected of a graduate. As I was completing these tasks, my input was valued and I could visibly see that my colleagues valued the input I was giving on their projects.

I was assigned a mentor, who is a graduate within Savills. She was in the office almost every day and I was given a desk next to her. This gave me the ability to not feel scared about asking questions, as I always knew I could refer anything I was unsure about / unsure who to ask to my mentor. Furthermore all of my colleagues I worked with made a special effort to not not only explain a task in detail, but also explain the reasoning behind why a task needed to be completed.

I have already completed an undergraduate degree, and will be beginning a masters degree in September. therefore it is very timely for my masters degree that I have had the opportunity to complete this placement. Many of the projects I worked on linked back to my degree work, giving me the ability to put theory into practice. It was also very interesting to see the extent to which theory often does not relate to practice directly.

I was given a clear timetable of training events I was expected to take part in throughout the placement, this really helped with long term planning and also balancing work load. Furthermore I was encouraged to devise a week long loo ahead of work I needed to complete, this provided further structure. I also felt comfortable discussing the structure of the placement with my colleguages, and felt comfortable making adjustments to my timetable to suit.

I really do feel that the positive atmosphere I found at Savills directly related to the positive experience I had during my four week placement there. It is a company that expects hard work from its employees, of course. However this is tempered by the fact that my colleagues were very supportive in helping my strive to fulfill this. Furthermore regular social events also helped to create a cohesive atmosphere which I felt increasingly part of as my placement progressed.

I was given ample opportunity to take part in training sessions to learn about all aspects of the company. Training sessions were also provided relating to the APC process and also graduate opportunities. The whole placement had professional development at its heart and I was given a in depth appraisal on the conclusion of the placement to assess my strengths and weaknesses.

The whole summer scheme was structured to provide a clear and comprehensive insight into what may be expected of me as a graduate in the company. I was given tasks that would be expected of a graduate and also treated as though I was working as a graduate by my colleagues. Therefore I see the insight as providing a perfect understanding of what a full time role at Savills would be like.

From undertaking the placement I was able to learn a lot about the culture of Savills. It was made clear to me that Savills expects high standards of work to be produced. However this was also in collaboration with high levels of training in order to achieve this success. Overall during the insight I was able to clearly see what makes up the culture at Savills.

The day to day experience has been very helpful in deciding on my future career path. Previously I was unsure if a career in property was for me. However having experienced how life could be as a graduate at Savills, I know have an greater understanding and enthusiasm to pursue a career in property.

Yes, I was paid a wage and reimbursed any expenses I incurred (however I incurred none). I feel that the wage I was paid were satisfactory for the work I completed. I was paid promptly and the rate of pay along with the way I needed to claim expenses was clearly explained to me.

Yes opportunities for networking were available. I was invited to attend office drinks, which allowed for networking with those across the office and also social events organised with my team of colleagues. This was in addition to the ability to make contact with clients during instances of me shadowing work undertaken with clients.

A good range of networking opportunities were provided and I was actively encouraged to take part in events organised. I feel that I was able to network with a wide range of people from across the office and also wider clients. However, I would comment that more opportunities to network with clients and professionals within the wider property sector would have been advantageous.

Yes, information was given to me about activities for employees outside of work. There seemed to many opportunities available, such as sports teams and pub quizzes. However, I do feel that I was not given enough information on what may be available. I feel there may be a lack of activities or perhaps it was not explained to me very well. I'm not sure really.

I have many friends from university who would like to pursue a career in property. I have spoke to many of them about my experience and have had feedback that they are jealous of what a useful experience it has been. I would certainly recommend Savills to a friend, as the experience I have obtained has made me feel a lot more confident about applying for and undertaking a graduate job.