Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my six week stay at Cushman & Wakefield. The other staff were incredibly accommodating, and made me feel welcome from day one. The tasks I was provided with were both hands on and highly relevant, allowing me to feel like I was making a genuine contribution assisting the team. If approached, I would highly recommend this commercial surveying internship to any future applicants.

From day one I was made to feel highly valued. Throughout my first week, I was invited to lunch with several colleagues, all from varying teams. This allowed me to get to know people throughout the company from a very early stage. Furthermore, several colleagues from different teams approached me throughout my internship, asking if I would like to assist them carry out several jobs. This allowed me to gain a broader understanding of the running of the company, largely benefitting my learning experience. The team I worked in were also highly accommodating from the start. They allowed me to gain a real hands on experience across the valuations area, allowing me to gain a much greater appreciation for what a graduate career in this role may entail.

I was given a great deal of support from my supervisor. He ensured I was given a high level of relevant and interesting work on a daily basis, largely improving my internship. He also made me feel incredibly welcome in the team I was working, and across the company in general.

I was given a good amount of work to complete on a daily basis. Helping a number of teams, this ensured I was always busy helping someone. Furthermore, I was able to get out of the office on a weekly basis, allowing me to gain a greater insight into the industry, and make my weeks more exciting.

I was given a high level of responsibility throughout my internship. I was regularly aiding on real projects, working towards a deadline to get these projects finished. I was also sent on occasion to individually carry out property viewings throughout Edinburgh.

Being a non-cognate applicant, I entered this internship without a huge degree of knowledge in the commercial surveying industry. However, over the duration of this internship, where I worked primarily in the commercial valuations team, I was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of the day to day running of the office, and of the terminology and processes required to have a successful property career and sector appreciation. I am now following this up studying a Real Estate MSc compounding the practical lessons I learned throughout my internship with a theoretical understanding. the training and skills I received and developed at Cushman & Wakefield have proved invaluable.

There was a great overall atmosphere in the office.

The internship was set up to a high standard. On my first day I attended an induction day in the London office, where we were given talks on the company, how it has been performing lately and what our internship will entail. Upon starting in Edinburgh the next day, I was able to work in several different business areas in the company, allowing me to gain a broader understanding of the surveying industry, and of the company in general.

I have applied for the commercial surveying graduate scheme with Cushman & Wakefield, and have been fast tracked to the assessment centre. I will hopefully be successful at this at a later date. The company made me feel incredibly welcome, and I would now love to continue my career with them.

The cost of living and socialising was very manageable. I was able to rent a room in a flat for the duration of this internship. Whilst this did cost over £400, it was within a ten minute walk of the office, making for an incredibly easy commute. This was also within walking distance of the main social areas in Edinburgh, reducing any travel expenses. The average price of food and drink was also very manageable.