Business Services Intern Review

Overall, I found my placement at BSH extremely rewarding. At the beginning I was nervous however; as I gained experience and my workload increased, my confidence grew. I was given many opportunities to develop my skills which will be beneficial during University and my future career. I built great relationships with colleagues and other interns within the business which made my placement extremely enjoyable.

As time progressed throughout my placement the more I felt like a valued member of my team. The more experience I had, the more could assist employees in other areas of the business and even in other countries. The responsibility I was given within my team increased and this was recognised by others in the business. I always received positive feedback from my manager and other employees, which made me feel of value to the company.

The support I was given by my manager and others during the year was immense. This was truly beneficial at the start of my placement as I required guidance and training on various systems by other colleagues. I was given consistent support from my manager and HR during my placement which was extremely assuring .

At first, my workload was quite small and I wasn’t very busy. Once I had settled in and the received the necessary training, my work load began to increase substantially. The work load varies day to day especially during peak times, however my manger would ensure I never had too much work to handle.

Once I had demonstrated I was capable of completing tasks, I was given the opportunity to take on more responsibility. This gradually increased as I was trained in more systems and became more experienced. Having this level of responsibility was significantly motivating as I felt more like a full time employee rather than ‘just an intern’.

I believe my studies will greatly benefit from the real life applications that I can now use to analyze and evaluate academic theories. I have taken part in many different training sessions at BSH including; time management, project management, customer service skills etc., which I believe will help me to be more organised during my final year and future career.

My department is quite small compared to the others in the business although it still has a great environment. Generally the office has a really positive atmosphere and colleagues will have a laugh although, simultaneously everyone is extremely hard working and focused. It is necessary to have this balance in the office to be productive.

Everything was well organised from my first day. I was given a company induction on my first day which was extremely informative and a chance to see the call center facility on my second day. I had several review meetings with my manager to ensure I am kept up to date with everything in the business and I am on track to achieve my targets. Interns were asked to review and give feedback on the placement structure on a number of occasions in order to continuously improve the Intern Programme.

All interns received monthly training sessions in general business skills which BSH felt would be the most valuable. My manager actively encouraged me to take any opportunity that would develop my skills to help with my future employability. If I felt as though I required training in a certain area, there would be various training sessions that I could take part in and attend.

There is potential to return to BSH as a Graduate Intern for a year, if that is something yourself and your manager are interested in. As a Global Company there are plenty of opportunities for future employment worldwide. Having the opportunity to come back to BSH after University is very appealing as the business is a great place to work.

The current intern community at BSH is extremely sociable and organise many social activities outside of work and even weekend trips away. A lot of the interns live extremely close to each other which makes socialising very frequent. There are also other events which are organised by BSH where employees can socialise such as; Christmas Party, Family Day, Sporting and Charity Events etc.

The cost of living in the houses provided by BSH was £400 per month (including bills) which is relatively cheap in Milton Keynes. Living so close to London prices are slightly higher than average however, the salary offered covers all expenses comfortably even without student finance. Local pubs in the village were slightly cheaper than if you were to venture into Milton Keynes City Centre.

The nightlife in Milton Keynes is not quite the same as it is in a student city as there is currently only one club, however there are many late night bars/pubs which fit the bill. There are lots of other places to go on evenings such as cinemas, bowling, plenty of restaurants and even a ski slope in the City Centre.

There have been many activities organised by BSH to get involved in outside of work for example; Colour Run, Tough Mudder, Charity Bike Rides etc. If nothing appeals to you in Milton Keynes, there are quick links to London, Cambridge and Oxford where there are lots of other things to do.