Intern Review

I found the experience a very enjoyable one, particularly due to the varied nature of the work provided that gave me a great exposure across the line of business. I was fortunate to be placed in a great team that made me feel welcome and got me involved early on in the process, while also providing help when required. Throughout the placement, away from our core work, as interns we were also involved in a corporate social responsibility project with a nominated charity. The project while sometimes difficult to balance with work provided my team in peak times, was an extremely rewarding experience and also provided the opportunity to meet other interns and Aon colleagues across the company.

I felt valued by my colleagues through my time with the company. Throughout the process I was involved with direct work for the team, assisting in a range of functions, receiving positive feedback throughout.

Through the placement my colleagues were extremely approachable, providing support and assistance whenever I asked, which was extremely valuable throughout the internship period. On arrival I was also assigned with a buddy, a recent graduate who had also completed the internship scheme. This was extremely helpful early on in the process to help settle in and get up to speed with the process and company systems.

For me this varied day to day due to the nature of work I was involved in. While some of my fellow interns were assigned project work for various time periods during the placement, my personal work varied day to day depending on where the team needed assistance. As such some days were much busier than others. Throughout the process my workload natural increased, and in the quieter times there was always something for me to do such completing company online training courses to increase knowledge on the industry.

Throughout the placement I was given a high level of responsibility from producing contacts and endorsements through to direct communication with clients and underwriters. This level of responsibility despite my relative short time with the company was extremely rewarding.

The internship was an extremely valuable experience. Providing a fantastic exposure to the company and industry, while also developing a range of skills. Overall an extremely rewarding and beneficial experience.

The atmosphere in the office was great throughout. My team were extremely welcoming and made me feel part of the team. The hot desk office layout also made the process of meeting other team members and colleagues across the business an easy one. The interns on my floor would also regularly meet up for lunch, which created a nice atmosphere.

Overall the placement was well organised within my team. This was primarily due to fact my team had numerous interns over the years and understood the process. There were issues at times such as getting effectively set up on some of the company systems and programmes, but this was sorted relatively early on. I also felt the transition at the end of the programme could have been a little smoother. This was primarily because I was finishing the scheme a few days earlier than other interns, meaning there was a bit of confusion between my team and HR on the steps I was required to complete at the end of the placement.

The company invested significant time and effort in myself throughout the process. This began with a full training day on the industry by an external training provider to get the interns up to speed with the industry, which was extremely helpful. Through the process there was also online courses provided by the company to increase knowledge on the company and the industry. Throughout the process the team were also extremely helpful, with meetings early on with individual team members to talk over the team and the projects they were involved in. Some team members also allowed me to shadow meetings they were undertaking which was extremely useful to better understand the industry.

Through the placement I had an extremely enjoyable and rewarding time with the company. As a result of the time and effort invested in myself and the positive feedback received by my team I would be extremely happy to return to the company. As of the time of writing I am still waiting to hear if I will be offered a place on the graduate scheme.

Within my team there was a good social scene, both within and outside the office. Through the process I was also invited to join in with 5-aside football with a few colleagues and underwriters which was great. With regards to fellow interns, there were social events provided at the start and end of the process. Throughout the process many of the interns met up for lunch and also some social events after work. It would have been great if there were a few more events put on by the company especially early in the process so all interns in the London office would get to know each other.

Naturally the costs in London are reasonably high as would be expected. Despite this the range of opportunities and activities are vast and if you put the effort in, reasonable priced activities can be found. For example many great restaurants hold early evening (pre-theatre) menus which greatly reduces the price of meals Throughout the placement I was able to live at home which reduced the costs.

As the placement was in London there was a range of nightlife activities available to suit all preferences. In the surrounding area of the office there were a range of bars and social activities (such as an indoor crazy golf). Also the fact the placement was in London provided access to a vast range of activities with easy access across the city.

Throughout the process there were limited opportunities to get involved with activities outside work such as the 5-aside football mentioned earlier. This was probably due to the short term nature of the placement.