Summer Intern Review

As someone who is not from a real estate background, I found that the summer internship was a perfect introduction to the property industry. The tasks set were both engaging and interesting, providing me with a valuable insight to the workings of a renowned company.

Both the team I worked alongside and the other interns were welcoming and friendly. There were many opportunities to socialize inside and outside of the workplace, creating an ideal balance between professional relationships and informal friendships.

My supervisor was extremely helpful throughout the entire process. Although I was encouraged to use my initiative, I felt that I could always ask questions about any challenges I faced. The rest of the management team and particularly the HR department were always at hand, offering a wealth of guidance when discussing my future career plans.

I was regularly assigned small projects to work on throughout each week which kept me involved and occupied. Although occasionally there was a lapse between one project finishing and the next starting, I felt that this gave me an opportunity to better reflect on the work I was doing and explore areas of my own interest further.

The tasks I was assigned definitely gave me a degree of responsibility. I could clearly see the results of my work being put to use in the wider team and I felt that I had a sense of ownership over my individual projects. I was trusted to meet deadlines and provide reliable research data.

The summer internship built upon my understanding of the property industry massively. By the end of the period, my understanding of the terminology had improved significantly and I felt as though I was competent in tasks I had previously struggled with. The group presentation that concluded the internship enabled me to develop my pitching skills and experience working with a team in the professional environment. I had the opportunity to ask colleagues about their career paths and gain a much better idea of the options that lay ahead of me within real estate.

The atmosphere was welcoming and I always felt that I was part of a professional team. My colleagues were very talkative and showed a genuine interest in the work that I was doing for the company.

The internship was very well organised; I never felt misinformed and the HR department were readily available to discuss any queries I had about working for the company.

I felt as though I was a valued member of the team and my contributions were respected. Any criticisms were always constructive, allowing me to improve on the mistakes I made.

I was offered a fast-track to the assessment center following the internship. I felt well rewarded for my working efforts and the company have been very useful in laying out my deferral choices. Besides the fast-track offer, Cushman and Wakefield is still a company I would enjoy working for in the future and one that I would definitely recommend to anyone looking to start a career in property.

There were regular opportunities to socialize during and after work hours. This facilitated networking and I felt that I made several friendships that have been continued after the internship came to an end.

The office was located in central London meaning the cost of socializing and travelling in the area was expensive. However, my team were very generous and regularly invited the interns out after work.

There was a large selection of bars, pubs and restaurants to chose from. The atmosphere was always great but, as mentioned, the venues were often expensive.

The company held a softball tournament among the graduates and the interns which provided a great opportunity to socialize outside of work. There were several sports teams that interns were also invited to play for on weekends.