Games Finance Intern Review

I enjoyed working at in Warner Brothers Games department a great deal. This was due to the day to day challenges, longer term projects and general office atmosphere. Another major factor was the location of the placement, as being in London meant that I could experience the capital fully when not in work.

I feel that my colleagues valued me a great deal as they would very often set challenging work which they may have not given me otherwise. Furthermore it is evident by the praise received after completing said work that although I am at the intern level the work and effort I put in is noticed and appreciated.

At Warner Brothers there is a great deal of support and guidance. My managers would offer help whenever necessary and would also implement frequent "Chat" sessions in which I would be able to voice an concerns or issues, if any. There was even an external IT training course which I was eligible to be sent on.

As I worked in the finance the day to day schedule would vary depending on how close to month end I was. Therefore this meant that at times I had a lot of work to do which was challenging but rewarding and was probably the perfect balance for me. However there were often times when I would complete my work and ask if there was anything else for me to do or help with and I would not be presented with much more.

I was given a great deal of responsibility very early on in my placement and placed in charge of Purchase Order numbers. The amount of responsibility only increased throughout the year as I got to grips with new systems and software's. Towards the end of the year I was in charge pulling the entire mobile data for international.

I believe the skills that I've developed at Warner Brothers will assist me greatly in my degree studies as my degree is larger accountancy based and through working in the finance department my understanding and abilities to deal with accounts has improved enormously. I also believe the excel skills I have developed through training during my placement will help me beyond my degree and throughout live as the software is so widely used and valued.

The atmosphere in my office was welcoming and fun right from the beginning. Everyone made sure that all of the interns felt comfortable and knew that everyone else was approachable if they ever needed help. Due to my office being in the games department there were often competitions and game taster sessions which made it very exciting and fun.

The Placement was organised brilliantly from the very start with the handover period being ample to time to settle in and get prepared for performing tasks on your own. The information provided to us regarding the what accommodation is most appropriate and affordable was a great help. Also throughout the year the placement training sessions provide a good structure to help you keeping improving and progressing.

Personally I was sent on an external IT training course, specially an advanced excel course. I also attended 5 or 6 different intern training course which were put on throughout the year, these course were specifically tailored to target areas in which new interns would benefit most. Therefore I would say that the company went above and beyond in terms of investing in me.

The prospect of future employment at Warner Brothers is appealing due to the friendly atmosphere, good pay and numerous perks of the job, however I would say that a major drawback which makes it a little less appealing to me is that there doesn't appear to be much room for progression.

As my placement was in central London both the cost of living and cost of socialising was very high. I personally lived in a four bed house which cost roughly £700 a month bills excluded. Whilst socialising was expensive with the minimum you'd be paying for a pint being £4 it didn't negatively impact the frequency in which the office and interns would go out.

The nightlife in the area around work was okay with numerous local pubs and bars and also cheaper places to drink like chains such as a Be at One and All bar One being frequented often however for nightlife any better than that you may need to travel a bit further away from the area around work. However being in London means that everything else is only a short tube journey away.

There were a few activities to get involved in outside of work hours. The HR intern would often set up nights out which most of the interns would go on. Time Warner also sets up lots of charity events, I personally took part in a 10k run round London Zoo on a weekend. It was also encouraged to take volunteer days I which you could take off work in order to help a charity of your choice.