This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.2/5
  • The Role
    4.6
  • The Company
    4.4
  • The Culture
    3.5

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • Participating in a placement has been the best experience of my life. It has allowed me to learn things that I would not have had the opportunity to do so through studying at University. I have networked beyond my imagination and learnt a great deal about Microsoft.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I really felt like part of the team working here at Microsoft. I had my own job role with my own targets to hit, which as a result meant I had to work closely with my colleagues to get the job done. It also meant that I felt real stress and pressure, which was rewarding when it paid off.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My manager was extremely supportive, but at the same time left me to my own devices to get the job done. He was there if I needed him, but I was also pushed to work independently.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • There is always something to do, which is what I loved about working here. I wasn't sat around twiddling my thumbs or getting people coffee, I had work to do.

    5/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • The level of responsibility given to me makes me feel like I wasn't on an internship, but a full time job for the year, I loved it.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I have learnt more than I thought possible during my time here at Microsoft, the skills I have learnt will definitely be useful during my time at university,

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The general atmosphere in my office is amazing. Microsoft in general has a 'smart casual' rule about clothing, meaning that it is nothing too formal. The atmosphere is great, you don't have to sit in silence, and there are always people around who are willing to chat. At the same time, if you want to sit at your desk with your headphones in listening to music, then that's ok too.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The set up of my internship was extremely well organised. I found it through rate my placement, and after going through the long process to apply, I was then contacted almost weekly by the previous set of interns, which meant that I did not feel lost when I first started. There was also a lot of support from my team when I first started, who would take the time to explain things to me until I found my feet.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • In terms of training, you are definitely thrown in at the deep end here. As it is such a faced paced moving industry, it is hard for everyone to take the time to teach you how to do everything. However, there are lots of resources online, tutorials and videos as well as blogs which are extremely beneficial in helping to learn more about the business.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    National Travel

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Working from home

    Healthcare/Dental

    5/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • The future employment prospects are extremely appealing. Microsoft has a lot to offer in terms of ensuring the morale of employees is as high as it can be. That being said, there are also a lot of interesting teams and jobs that are extremely appealing to me. Microsoft is so large, there are so many different teams or parts of the business to work in. For example, working in Office will be extremely different from working in Azure.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • As interns, you tend to end up living in houses with one another, which ranged from two people to six. Depending on whether you're a social person or not, there is definitely plenty of opportunities here. As I lived in a house with five other people, it meant there was always something going on or something to do. As well as this, there are intern socials, which are organised and funded by Microsoft, which encourage you to get to know one another.

    5/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Microsoft HQ is based in Reading, where the cost of living is pretty normal. It isn't as expensive as living in London, and isn't as cheap as living up North, but the area is fine to live on with the amount that you are paid. It is also 20 minutes on a train from London.

    4/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • The nightlife isn't the most exciting in Reading, there are a few pubs and clubs which mean that there are places to go on the weekend. However, if you're looking for something more interesting, London is extremely close by and is direct from Reading to Paddington station, where from there, the nightlife is amazing as the city is so big,

    3/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There are many opportunities. Microsoft has a discounted gym which offer a variety of different sporting clubs. My housemates were involved in the football sport club, and as a result got a trip to Portugal with the whole team. The gym also offering a running club every Tuesday, and then organise socials every so often for all members to attend on a Friday night.

    3/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Data Science, Business Management, Education/Teaching, Information Technology, Marketing

South West

June 2017


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