Intern Review

There was an appropriate level of support and guidance provided by both my line manager (who acted as a supervisor) and my mentor (who was more a more informal point of contact). I could turn to either of them if I was ever unsure about anything without feeling it would inconvenience them. Equally I did not feel like I was constantly being watched or patronised and was given enough independence and trusted to make my own decisions on when to seek support and guidance from my supervisor and or mentor.

I was suitably busy on a daily basis. It is hard to quantify a 'daily' level of busy-ness as this did vary day to day. On most days I would have at least one meeting, probably averaging two or three per day. There were times when I felt a little too busy for comfort, with a lot of tasks to complete, and equally times when I felt slightly lacking work to do. However, this was never too extreme either way and, overall, balanced to a good level.

I was given a large amount of responsibility, which I enjoyed as I feel it is important to be given real work which actually contributes to the team and the wider business as an intern, rather than undertaking pointless activities. It could be daunting at times to know the work I was doing actually 'mattered' but the challenge is also motivating.

The general atmosphere in the office is one where people are committed to their work and work hard. However, it is not a high tension atmosphere and there are no elements of behaviour such as aggression. The general atmosphere is also relatively relaxed and one can get up and chat to members of the team and also send an email to someone in another part of the business in order to organise a meeting to discuss something. The structure is relatively 'flat' in the sense that the hierarchy is not pronounced with Directors of teams interacting with the junior colleagues in an amicable fashion.

The internship was not well organised from the point of application to point of commencing the internship. The communication during the application process was not good and there was a lack of guidance before commencing the internship. For example: the location of the internship was not disclosed until approximately a month before commencing and little guidance was provided about accommodation in the local area. However, once beginning the internship, the organisation was far better and the actual internship placement felt well coordinated and structured.

There was not much investment in personal training and development during the internship. There was one session, approximately half way through the internship, which all interns were encouraged to attend, which was on 'personal development' and included work on learning styles, active listening and emotional intelligence. However, this acted more as an 'introduction' to the universal graduate skills programme (which is a training and development programme for graduates on the graduate scheme). I believe that the personal training and development on the graduate scheme is extensive and thorough so this would not be lacking in the long term.

The future employment prospects within the organisation are unclear. During the duration of the internship it is not disclosed whether graduate positions are available for the discipline of the intern, nor the number of positions available (for example if there is more than one intern per discipline), nor the potential location of the graduate offer. However, this is due to lack of knowledge of the demand from the relevant teams and is not a deliberate withholding of information. However, it is likely that there would be the possibility of future employment for each intern, even if it was within a different team or discipline.

I would say this was average. There were opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work, but these were more reliant on organisation by individuals. The Sunbury site has a gym, sports hall, playing fields and tennis courts on site. There is also a lake and a bar (and even a children's nursery!) There is the possibility of getting a gym membership and also attending gym classes. Activities such as 'run club', ultimate Frisbee and touch rugby also took place and are organised by individuals and groups. The interns also organised a few things amongst themselves, for example: charity sports day and going for drinks after work. However, being on the outskirts of London meant that it was possible to do your own social things on weekends.

I chose to live in Hampton which is relatively close to the area I worked in (the Sunbury office). I chose this location as it was close, approximately 5 minutes on the train and then 25 minutes walking. Therefore, my travel costs were quite low. The cost of living in Hampton is relatively high but not completely unaffordable. In terms of socialising, I spent the majority of my time going into central London to do things with friends. London is generally expensive, and the additional travel also added cost. However, I felt this was worthwhile for the cheaper and quicker work journey and the socialising was my own choice.

There were opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work, but these were more reliant on organisation by individuals. The Sunbury site has a gym, sports hall, playing fields and tennis courts on site. There is also a lake and a bar (and even a children's nursery!) There is the possibility of getting a gym membership and also attending gym classes. Activities such as 'run club', ultimate Frisbee and touch rugby also took place and are organised by individuals and groups. The interns also organised a few things amongst themselves, for example: charity sports day and going for drinks after work.