Operations Summer Intern Review

The internship was really well set up and well thought out. Teams that students were placed in worked well, there was adequate work to get really stuck into and everyone was extremely accommodating. The company itself is really flexible and great to work for, you can tell its a good place to be from how many lovely people you meet everywhere you go.

I was given my own objectives and responsibilities, but would have regular check ups with my manager and he was always available for me if I had any queries. It was a really good balance of getting help when I needed and being trusted to complete my tasks. This really helped me feel valued, he would also give me constructive feedback. The team as a whole always made me feel welcome and seem like a actual member of the team.

My manager had the perfect balance of giving me support when i needed and trusting me to complete my work. There was a strong support network around the office, everyone was very supportive of me learning about their roles and the department functions. Other's were also very supportive with helping me fulfil my role.

A really good balance of different tasks to keep it interesting but with some main objectives that I could really get me teeth into. Really good balance.

I had 4 main objectives which I was solely responsible for and it was entirely up to me how much support I required with those tasks. And it wasn't just menial tasks that you sometimes hear about, they had real business impact and produced a massive cost saving, whilst ensuring company compliance.

Definitely helped me develop lots of skills through general office work. It really helped with communication and tome management; essential skills both in education and work life.

The office was fairly quiet in some areas, everyone was extremely nice but also very focused. But it meant everyone went home on time! My team was a bit more lively than others which was quiet nice, meant we could have a joke every now and then whilst completing our roles.

Everyone was very aware of the scheme and managers were very prepared for us before coming, so my work was all organised and easy for me to take over on my arrival. How reviews were laid out were set also so it was easy to know what you were aiming for and what your managers expectations were.

I think it's hard for a company to offer a huge amount of training in a 9 week period but I felt they were very accommodating had you requested specific training that you required. I am aware of colleagues having classes in presentation skills, I'm sure had I asked I could've also been included. However, nothing was directly offered in the form of training. It was in your hands.

The graduate scheme for the company seems amazing, and the graduates I met during my internship really seemed to be enjoying it. Definitely a great place to work generally too, loads of the employees have been there for a long time and dingy seem too be planning to go anywhere else. That's always a good indicator to whether or not you should go back.

I think I was extremely lucky with how great the other students were, or allianz are just great at picking people. The other students and I met up regularly, for lunch at work and for evenings together. We all got on really well and could go to each other with anything. My colleagues were also fantastic, really friendly and all had a great bond with one another. Unfortunately I just missed out on the team social as it was before I started so I didn't see a great deal of them outside of work, but they were all great people.

Guildford isn't the cheapest place to live, being so close to London you can't expect it to be. My rent was quite expensive but was worth it for the great location. Socially it was pretty standard pricing, fortunately being the home of a uni meant that there were a few cheaper venues.

Although there wasn't a huge deal of choice (only 3 main clubs) they were very varied and a really good laugh. It wad a bit quieter given that it was the summer holidays so all the students had gone home but it was still really good fun.

Allianz organised loads of activities that you could take part in both inside and outside of work. They also did loads of great competitions. Whilst working there I won a day out skiing in a snow dome with Paralympic skier. I also won tickets to the para athletics in London, I even signed up to volunteer for part of it too. There was was lots of other activities too, I just didn't get round to taking part in them all!