Spring Intern - Capital Allowances Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the insight. It gave me a great opportunity to get stuck into some real work with a current graduate. In only 5 days I learnt about a new industry and had the opportunity to help complete a report for a client. There were talks organise for us throughout the week which enabled be to get an insight into the other departments at the firm. There was a networking lunch with the directors as well which allows us to ask questions about their jobs and how they got into the industry. There were several drinks events hosted after work which allowed us to talk to the other interns and mentors in a more relaxed atmosphere.

I felt that Savills really values everyone working at the firm, whether you are on the graduate scheme or on the spring insight. Everyone was extremely nice and open and willing to help when I was unsure about something. I was able to build a rapport with my mentor and the other members of my department which really made the week enjoyable

Since I was in a department that I had no prior knowledge of (Capital Allowances), my mentor and some of the other members in the department spent most of the first day explaining the concept to me. I was given printed presentations explaining the department and shown case studies of projects that had recently been completed. I was also able to ask question

Since the subject I study only has a couple of modules on Real Estate, I do not think the week was as useful in helping me through my degree studies. However, some of the skills I learnt and developed throughout the week with regards to working in a city firm and meeting deadlines are skills I will use wherever I end up in the future

The HR team was superb in their organisation of the insight programme. We were emailed a timetable a week before we started which broke down where we would have to be and at what time for the different events. We were also sent emails in the morning to remind us about the events we had on the day and to alert us to any changes in timing/venue.

Everyone at Savills was extremely welcoming, whether they were a graduate or a director. Everyone was open to answering questions and the work atmosphere was very relaxed yet it was understood that work had to get done at the same time. This made the experience very enjoyable and I looked forward to going into the office in the morning.

The firm has definitely invested in this week. By organising talks by directors from all of the major departments, allocating a mentor to each student and organising a directors lunch. The firm really wanted us to enjoy ourself and develop our understanding of the industry over the week. even though we were all placed in a specific department, being able to speak to directors and graduates from other departments was extremely useful

Being able to speak to the graduates was really useful and having drinks after work hours with them allowed us to speak to them in a more relaxed atmosphere to gain an insight into what working at Savills is like. I was only there for a week, but in that week I was able to gain a general understanding of the work life at the firm and how graduates would be expected to work.

Being placed in a department for a week was extremely useful in understanding the culture. I was set work that graduates are set and worked alongside other members of the team throughout the week as well as my mentor. I was able to speak to the members during our lunch breaks and develop an understanding of the culture and how you are expected to work hard but in a comfortable atmosphere

I personally am still not sure as to what industry I want to work in and so attending the insight week was extremely useful in giving me an understanding of the property industry. Ideally I would want to spend a bit longer in the firm to allow me to get properly involved in projects and also having experience at other firms to compare to.

At the end of the week, we sent copies of our receipts for travel and lunch (accommodation for anyone outside of london as well) and were reimbursed up to £100 for the week. This is a fair amount and covered my travel and lunch expenses. however, other industries do pay their insight students and other firms offer a bit more as reimbursement. Whilst it was sufficient for me personally, I can imagine that someone who lived outside of London but got placed in this office would not have found £100 sufficient for their accommodation, travel and lunch expenses

As I've mentioned above, there were several networking events organised. We had our own insight drinks at the beginning of the week which was a way to get to know each other better. We had lunch with directors from across the firm which was an invaluable experience. There was also a drinks session with the graduates which was nice and a good opportunity to talk to them in a more relaxed atmosphere.

On the whole the networking events were enjoyable. The directors lunch was well catered wiht a good variety of sandwiches available and soft drinks. My only complaint would be with the other networking drinks. For the initial insight drinks and the farewell drinks, there were only alcoholic beverages on offer. As someone who does not drink and even talking to some of the other students who do not drink, we were quite surprised taht there were only alcoholic beverages available. The farewell drinks were not held in a meeting room either so there was no tea/coffee or even water available which was quite disappointing and part of the reason why some of us left early on the last day. The graduate drinks were held in a pub across the road and were very well organised with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available and a tab at the bar. There was also a lot of snacks which was a nice touch.

We were told about the charities that the firm supports and how there are fundraiser events which employees take part in regularly. There are also sports teams, choirs and other groups which meet regularly and are a great way for graduates especially to get involved.

I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend as I thoroughly enjoyed myself during the week and learnt a lot about an industry which I previously had little exposure to