IT Intern Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed my work placement at GE. The work load was slow to begin with, but as I got to know the company and employees more I was given larger and more high profile projects to work on. This was interesting and a great way to learn more about the business and how IT is used to benefit a large scale business.

All employees I came across at GE were friendly and were eager to help me get settled into my new role as fast as possible. The support provided throughout my internship was amazing, I always felt like I had someone to talk to if I needed help on a project.

I was given lots of help and support when I asked my manger for it, but only when I voiced my concerns. I preferred this as it enabled me to be more independent in the work place and it really helped promote my personal learning. It was great to have my manger there though just in case I was really struggling with something.

To begin with, I didn't have a lot of work to do on a daily basis. But as the placement progressed the workload dramatically increased as I became involved with larger projects and as I settled into the company.

Again, when I first started, I was given little responsibility due to my manager not knowing what I was capable of and not really knowing me. As I became more familiar with the business and my colleagues, I was gradually given more responsibility. Towards the end of my placement I was one of the lead developers on an international project.

Working in a large business like GE has helped me develop my communication and presentation skills as I had to work with and present to GE employees across the world. I feel this experience was invaluable as it has helped me grow professionally. Also, GE has helped me gain exposure to how IT is used on a daily basis to benefit the business and help the business grow. It has really highlighted to me how important my degree is in the working world and has motivated me for my final year of university.

The atmosphere in my office was professional and I felt comfortable going into work every day. The other employees in my office were really friendly and helped me with my work when I needed it. I felt like part of the team and a valuable asset to the company throughout my internship due to this professional, yet friendly, environment.

The initial hiring process was very professional and set up extremely well, but the on boarding process could have done with some work. I was only given a 1 days hand over from the previous interns. This felt rushed and didn't really help me. Also, the work load at the beginning of the placement was slow due to the lack of organisation and hand over.

I was allowed to attend free online training courses and complete tutorials during working hours. This was great as I wasn't using any of my free time outside of the office to learn skills that I needed at work. I was only allowed to attend free training sessions/tutorials that were online.

The employment prospects at GE are extremely appealing, especially the graduate roles available to interns once they graduate. The graduate roles allow you to gain exposure from different businesses within GE; this involves travelling the world and living in different countries. GE also look after their employees with great benefits and schemes.

There was quite a few other interns and graduates at the site I was based at. There were opportunities to do out of work activities such as golfing and social events such as bars and pubs. These opportunities occurred maybe once a month which was a great way to get to know other students.

Rent is like any other big city; if you shop around you can get a decent price. This is the same for socialising, If you do your research before you go out and avoid the expensive bars/clubs you can have a fairly cheap night. Public transport is widely available and fairly cheap to use as well.

The night life was amazing. In the city centre, there were bars/clubs open even night. Everyone I met was extremely friendly and made me feel at home in the city. All of the clubs and bars were easily accessible in the centre of the city which meant transport wasn't an issue.

There were opportunities to go out socialising and participate in sports activities such as golf, but these were organised by ourselves and not by the company. It really helped having a large community of interns/graduates who were friendly and eager to get to know each other outside of work.