Intern Review

I very much enjoyed my placement at Hays. It is very much a work hard / play hard culture where hard work is rewarded. Everyone is nice and outgoing which made my switch from University to the working world a smooth process. I have learnt a lot of key skills here and made some great new friends.

I was an integral member of the team and was given responsibility from day one. Once trust was built, I was able to fully contribute and my ideas were taken into account at all times. My immediate team. I did not feel I was treated like an intern and expectations were just as high for me than any other member of the team.

I receive monthly desk reviews from my manager, going over what I have achieved over the last 4 weeks and analysing my performances. Feedback is very constructive and helps me progress. New objectives are set every month that are harder to achieve, making sure I don't lose interest and develop.

Work load depends a lot of the time of year. At some times, I am extremely busy, having to work hard in order to keep on top of things. And at other times, it is quieter and I have time to do different work such as headhunting or business development that requires more time and commitment.

I was given full responsibility of the junior market of the profession I recruited for.

I have not yet gone back to University so I am too sure on how these skills will help me in carrying out my studies. But I definitely know that I have learnt some key life skills that will help organise my workload and work in a more efficient manner. I have developed strong attention to detail and a competitive edge that pushes me to success.

Office atmosphere was as expected. I work in open plan office where you can listen in on other people's conversations on the phone and actually learn from the way they deal with both candidates and clients. It is loud, people are on the phone or typing away. There is also a great sense of humour and everyone having a laugh from time to time is tolerated.

It was well organised. I received an induction and was asked to complete online tests on my first week. I received training from specialists outside of the office with other interns that had started on the same day as me. There is an intern gathering at the end of every month. Clear guidelines and what was expected from me was put in place from the start and I always knew what I needed to do.

Great training and tips on recruitment best practice.

If you have performed well during your internship and you have taken a real liking into recruitment, you have a strong chance of being offered a permanent role at the end of your last year at University. This leads you on to a fast-track, meaning you are able to get promoted a lot quicker than an ordinary graduate.

There is a great social scene at Hays. Everything is put in place for you to have a good time and make friends. Drinks once or twice a week and different social events to get together as a team such as pub quizzes, bowling, table tennis and lunches. This is normally done with your direct team but events are also organised for just the interns to get together.

The cost of living is expensive, as expected. In the area, I worked in, expect spending at least £6 on lunch. And in regards of the price of a pint, it will be a minimum of £5. This is a lot more than what students pay at University but after a few month it becomes almost normal to spend £5 on a pint.

It is good fun!

There are lots of different activities outside of work to get involved.