First Foundry Summer Analyst Review

by American Express

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
    4.8
  • The Company
    4.1
  • The Culture
    3.4

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • Really enjoyed it. Despite only having completed my second year at University, I was supported so heavily by my team that I could learn skills within a week that could usually take at least a month to master. The amount of networking opportunities and events that were included on top of the actual work was fantastic. There was certainly never a boring day and I let with many new skills and more confidence than before.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • The staff managing the internship were very caring and were very approachable. Any issues we found were quickly solved, and any opportunities we were looking for (like the chance to learn more about a department or a new technology) could be organised simply by asking. The team I worked with were also incredibly welcoming and I had no problem speaking to any of them, as well as any other member of staff within the company.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • From the first day, our supervisors were really helpful. Despite having to ask even the silliest of questions when learning about technologies they had used for years, they never lost their patience and were happy to spend as much time with us as needed to make sure we knew what we were doing.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • Our timing was allowed to be very flexible, and so we could choose how long we wished to work on each day, as long as it added up to our contracted hours. However, given how much we all enjoyed the work and the number of projects we were given the opportunity to work on, we would often come in early or stay late simply because we enjoyed the projects.

    5/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • The projects we were given were not just some side-project that would be of no value to the company afterwards. This meant we had to attain to the teams standard for projects, as they would actually be using what we had been working on possibly for years to come. We also felt we could suggest changes and better ways of doing things if we saw a reason for it, and our opinions would be valued.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I came into the internship with an understanding of several program languages but not much in terms of actually applying it to real world problems. I left capable of putting together a well tested full-stack application within a day. The confidence I've gained alongside this new knowledge has made me quicker to ask questions and improved my approach to problems - skills that are crucial for both my academic and career progress.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The office was a wonderful collection of different backgrounds and personalities but I can safely say there is nobody I didn’t get on with, and many I got on with incredibly well. The other interns quickly became close friends, and our teams all the same. Everyone was very approachable and happy to talk, and there was never a point I felt talked down to despite being so new to the industry.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The internship was very well organised. We had a clear itinerary for the 10 weeks we were here from the first day, and events ran without a hitch. We were able to request the chance to learn more about a technology or talk to certain members of staff that were especially interesting and have it organised within days.

    3/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • The company really focused on making the internship a learning experience and so almost every day we would be meeting someone from a different area of tech or business, and even spent a day at the local university learning about quantum computing. We were encouraged to approach anyone if we had further questions about what they did.

    5/5

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

    Subsidised Canteen

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • Given the reputation of the company and the amount I enjoyed my time working with them, I am heavily considering returning for a permanent position. The possibility for progress within the company has been made very clear over these 10 weeks and it is also very easy to move between teams if I found myself wanting to try something new.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • The group of interns quickly became very close, and great fun both inside and outside of the work environment. We were split up into different teams and found that this made it very easy to find out what it was like working in different parts of the company. It was also really beneficial to have other people experiencing the same sort of process.

    3/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • My rent was £515 a month, and given I was also paying for my residence at university, the first month was a little difficult financially. However, after the first paycheck (which came in on the third week of the internship) this was not a problem. Going out was pretty average price for a city.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • While the office was in Burgess Hill, most of the interns lived in nearby Brighton, which has a fantastic nightlife. It became clear very quickly why Brighton is known for its music scene, and there was never a disappointing night out. Even during the day, it was an exciting place to be.

    4/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • We were connected to a start-up that had been working with the company, and this gave us the opportunity to try working with a small company whilst also working for a large scale company. We really enjoyed this as it gave us a project that we literally had complete control over.

    5/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

South East

August 2017


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