This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I greatly enjoyed my work placement year. I had many different opportunities to try new things and was constantly learning as I worked.
I was treated exactly the same as a graduate while on placement and felt very valued. My colleagues were always happy to lend a hand and I made many good friends.
My appraisal manager was always there to help me when I needed him and provided me with a lot of good advice. Not only that but many other managers I worked with were always willing to lend a hand support me.
Depending on exactly what I was working on my levels of work differed. I had many days where I was non-stop busy or worked late but also days where there was little to do as we would be waiting to hear back on something before work could progress.
I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement. For much of the year I was working at a level higher than my actual grade as I had the experience and knowledge necessary on the project.
The skills and knowledge I developed have been informing my studies this year and are helping me to write my final year dissertation. They will also be useful for my future career as I have received an offer of employment on the back of my placement.
The Company
The atmosphere in the office was always very good, people were very friendly and always willing to help if needed. On balance it was also a good working atmosphere but people knew how to have fun when the time came. It was always nice to take a tea break with my colleagues and catch up and there was always a good atmosphere on somebody's birthday when a cake would be brought in for them.
The overall work placement setup was very well organised as there was a dedicated team running things who consisted of people that had been on the placement scheme previously. This meant they had good knowledge of what did and didn't work and could tailor the organisation appropriately. Current placement students also had good input into the process so if something wasn't working very well it was easy to change.
When I started my placement I had six weeks of firmwide induction training that were very useful and taught me a lot. After this I also took part in two weeks of area specific training that gave me a better in depth understanding of the job I would be doing. Throughout the year the firm also offered many different training opportunities that I capitalised on and my managers were always happy to give me time off to learn.
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
Company Parties/Events
Above 25 days holiday
Working from home
The future employment aspects with the organisation are very appealing, I have already been made an offer to return and accepted it. I greatly enjoyed my year of work and the people I worked with and I am looking forward to working with them again. Since I already understand how the organisation works and have a good network there I would prefer to return to work rather than finding another job.
The Culture
Amongst my fellow placement students I have made many good friends as there was a very good social scene. We had many organised socials but also lots of informal meet ups that we arranged ourselves. I can equally say the same about my other colleagues, there were monthly drinks for different service areas and lines as well as informal meet ups between the people I worked with daily.
The cost of living was very expensive as I was living in London. I was also working in the City so socialising was not cheap, however the company often paid for socials and after living and working in the area for long enough I knew where to find cheaper deals. Thankfully the salary provides enough money to comfortably live on.
The nightlife was very good where I worked, there were plenty of bars and clubs nearby and it was easy to get on the tube to go somewhere else if needed. The (now shut down) club Fabric was only a 10 minute walk from where I was working and with three tube stations within the same distance It was incredibly easy to go to another part of London for nightlife.
The company has many social groups and sports teams that employees can get involved with and actively promote different events. This is a good way to make new friends if you are new to the city as it is easy to find people who have the same interests as you.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Information Technology, Management Consulting
London
November 2016