HR Intern Review

As a HR intern I wasn't expecting the level of responsibility I have had over the last year. The responsibility and the constant work flow of interesting and diverse work made the placement enjoyable and a learning experience all in one. It was challenging due to the busy environment, but it made achieving things even more rewarding.

Due to the responsibility I was able to have, I felt incredibly valued through the year. I regularly made improvements to the processes which has been appreciated by my team and the wider plant too. I have felt valued by a range of people due to the recognition system in place too.

I have had 3 managers (all with differing levels of responsibility) who have all helped and guided me through all of my decisions. My main manager has helped me in every way she possibily could and encouraged me to continue to improve myself and continue to learn throughout my year on site

There are peaks and troughs of work, just like the normal working world. I was always helped in working out the priorities when I was busy and passing over any extra work to me when I had less on. I was never bored and rarely felt overwhelmed with the amount I had to do.

I have been doing all the roles that a fully qualified HR would be carrying out. I have been supported in doing all sorts of roles with the level of guidance and help that i personally require. I have done all roles from interviewing, organising training to doing payroll for 2 sites.

My skills from this placement will be with me for life. Not only will I be able to use my experiences in my final year studies and hopefully improve my grades with it, I have learnt soft skills like communication and team work which can be carried forward. I have also learnt HR knowledge which could be used in the future if I chose to go in to HR in the future.

The office is a friendly feeling, everyone will say good morning and be incredibly kind to you. Everyone will ask how you are and how you are finding your experience. There isn't a lot of plant wide events mainly due to the size, it is more team events that take place.

After a few initial bumps in the road (due to IT issues) the internship has ran smoothly. There is a set program which is kept to and well organised, meaning that all interns come together regularly. It felt well organised and I knew the set up from the start which was hugely beneficial.

I feel like the company invested heavily in my learning and training. I had the 6 or 7 intern training even across the UK which were useful and all paid for (including travelling expenses). I have done training for my role directly across the UK too which was all paid for and hugely beneficial for me.

I have been told I am welcome to come back either as a full time employee or on a graduate scheme. The opportunities they have are endless and they are incredibly flexible with location, area of work and what route you can go down. They are great schemes and the prospects are good.

Due to the cohort of interns I was with there wasn't much social scene as we didn't get along as well as what we could've. This meant that the social side wasn't as great as what it could've been/ With colleagues I have had nights out and afternoons with so the opportunity to be social can be there.

Being in South of England it is naturally a little more expensive than if it was up North. I haven't found it challenging money wise so unsure it makes a huge difference, but you can tell it is slightly more expensive. At the plant there is a subsidised canteen so it makes it cheap to eat if you do'nt want to bring food in.

I have been on a few nights out in the closest city and it was quite good. It was slightly more expensive than previous nights out but the clubs were good and there are a few independent bars which are nice for casual drinks. The town the plant is in is quiet and only a few restaurants/bars so wouldn't be recommended for a full night out.

The plant offers up some activities such as yoga, fitness and football as well as subsidising the gym so you can attend for free (also has a swimming pool) Other than that i have got involved with a gym class outside of work and that has been great. There are opportunities for most people due to it being a city.