Business Analyst Intern Review

Working with Ceres was extremely enjoyable. I enjoyed the work that I did as it was perfectly relevant to my career goals and objectives. I also enjoyed the smaller things such as being able to wear casual dress, having my own desk and monitors in a pretty trendy office, and the general fun/lighthearted spirit of the office

Oftentimes, it is difficult trying to create value as an intern within a new organization because a lot of time is spent simply trying to understand the industry and business operations. But with Ceres, I do feel like I was valued along with the work I produced with the other interns because our progress discussed during weekly meetings along with all of the other regular business, and our work was actually used to aid in business operations.

With Ceres, support and guidance were always available when needed and asked for from all employee levels -- junior to senior. When it comes to support, there is no hierarchy or chain of command that I had to follow-- I simply asked whoever I thought would be able to best answer my question.

I was always busy, as I was given a list of objectives to complete over the course of ten weeks, but the intensity of my workload varied with client needs and deadlines. For example, in addition to the overall objectives, higher-priority tasks were sometimes assigned which needed to be finished by the end of the day or week.

My level of responsibility with Ceres was very much dependent on the overall workload of the company. When the company went though busy, intense periods, I was given a lot of responsibility to help accomplish all of the tasks that needed to get done. When the company went though calmer periods, my level of responsibility decreased and I assumed more of a support role rather than lead.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this internship has drastically improved my analytical skills and will be useful throughout the rest of my career. Technically, I started out thinking I was already an advanced user of Microsoft Excel, and soon realized that there were a host of functions using VBA and macros that I had never explored. Additionally, I acquired a ton of in-depth knowledge regarding the renewable gas market that will also be useful for the rest of my career.

Most days, the general atmosphere in the office is very relaxed and casual. The company is pretty small, so everyone is on friendly terms. It is very important to be able to work autonomously as tasks are not always explicitly assigned, so everyone is expected to spend their day acting in the best interests of the company without having to be told what to do.

I think that the overall placement was very well-organized. Within my first week of arrival, a space was created for me and I was given my own desk, double monitors, and plenty of office supplies. Additionally, I was given a list of objectives to complete during the internship (with the other interns). Our progress was periodically monitored, and feedback was given and incorporated into our projects.

Ceres has invested an incredible amount of time, effort, and resources into me as an international employee. They made all sort of resources readily available to me to ensure that I have all of the information that I need to properly do my job. Overall, the training process was more hands-on learning on a day-by-day basis rather than via a scheduled training session, which is a more suitable style for this role.

Future employment prospects within the organization are very appealing because the renewable gas market is growing and the company is very hungry, and looking to expand. The gas industry is complex and it takes a while to understand how processes work, so the company is definitely looking for people to invest in who want to stay.

Personally, I did not develop any close relationships with my fellow interns, but we were all definitely on friendly terms. I'm sure that if I tried to develop closer, more personal relationships with the other interns outside of work then it would have happened, but it is never something that I actively tried to do.

I commuted to the office from Newcastle, where cost of living is fantastic, so I am not quite sure what the cost of living in the Hexham-area is like. The same goes for socializing. I did not socialize much in Hexham as I commuted from Newcastle and tended to socialize there instead. That being said, there were plenty of places to do basic shopping and several cafes/shops to buy lunch from. Cafes ranged from large chains such as Greggs, Costa, Tesco, and M&S as well as several smaller, local, independent shops.

Hexham is definitely not a place for nightlife. It is a cute, small, country village that seems like a great place to settle down and raise a family rather than go out and party. Lack of nightlife was never an issue for me as I commuted to Hexham from Newcastle, a city 25km away with a massive nightlife scene.

Hexham is a lovely community with plenty of green space for those interested in outdoor activities like cycling and running. Personally, I am not very athletic and never participated in such events, but they were always available if interested. There were always, of course, plenty of opportunities to get involved in activities in Newcastle, which is very close by.