UKI Infrastructure Assistant Review

I really enjoyed being in a work environment and given real tasks to do that make an impact on the day to day running of the company. The role was enjoyable and there is still time outside of work to socialise with other interns and develop a tight knit group. I enjoyed being in a shared house with other interns so that we could car-share and being in different areas meant we had an extended network of friends through each others colleagues.

Although only around for a year, and they've had interns for several years, there's no sense of them being better than you. Your contributions are valued, even if they sound completely silly. I was given tasks that were meaningful to aid in colleagues work and they were grateful for the assistance. There is a lot of cooperation and collaboration on many projects that are too big for one person to handle on their own.

It can really vary on a day to day basis. Most of the time, there is enough work for you to find something to do and be busy. At the same time, you can have days out for non-role related events and not be overwhelmed when you're back. If it is too busy, there is enough people around to spread the work out.

SO. MANY. SOFT. SKILLS. I could name all the buzz words for transferable skills and it would still apply. I gained several specific skills and built a lot of role related knowledge but I do not know how much use they will be if I am going to a different job after graduation. There's plenty of material available for extra training on nearly any given topic and employees are expected to continue their own personal development.

People generally sit in their teams so that can talk amongst themselves easier but do still chat to other teams and people from round the office that they know from previously. There is quite a lot of banter between colleagues who have known each for a long time. Monday - Thursday is generally fairly busy and there's always people about and willing to help. Fridays tend to be quieter, so there is the opportunity to work from home sometimes.

There's a whole area of the business dedicated to young people doing gap years, placement year, apprenticeships. Its really well run over all the sites with several events over the year for everyone to join in with. There's a whole team of people that are specifically for looking after the students and challenging them to do new things and get the most out the placement.

There was about 40ish interns in my location and everyone knows each other and their area so its really good to meet others who are in the same boat and have a chat. everyone starts at different times and has different schedules so its really good to get to know everyone because theres always people around to talk to.

Its fairly studenty so pretty cheap - obviously there is expensive areas but the main student area is decent. I have plenty of money left over for food/social/treats etc after bills rent etc. and have been saving so much from this year to put into next year or big expenses such as a car for after uni.

Again, there's so many things to get involved in outside your role. There's all the intern events, then giveback which is where you sign up for things like manning a stand at a careers fair, or helping at an assessment centre or going into a local school to talk to the kids about careers there. Even if its not registered as an idea, you can still ask for approval from your manager and just go for it.