This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I enjoyed being able to carry out work which was influential for the business, everyone treated you as an equal employee. The company was an amazing company to work for, they allowed many opportunities to develop my skills, which will help me in my future career path. I enjoyed my team and role.
For my particular team, everyone was extremely friendly from day one. I have left making great friends. You were able to ask them any questions and not feel worried about their responses. Everyone was always supportive and able to offer advice on how to improve or change the way you had done something.
My managers were incredibly supportive throughout the entire placement year. We had weekly catch ups to keep up to date on what work I was currently on, ways to meet my planned goals and objectives. They gave guidance on further detail of topics I didn't understand fully, I knew I could always ask them for help or explanation.
Due to my role being financial, there are naturally times of the month where it is quieter or busier. This did mean there were times where I was extremely busy or where I didn't have much going on. However when I didn't have much work on I would be able to work on the online trainings which were given to me.
Some of the reports which I was in control of got sent out to the wider business managers and senior leaders which was a strong responsibility on myself. I would have to ensure these reports were accurate as any errors could cause issues for the business. To be given responsibility like this taught me to double check work always.
I have massively developed as a person, my confidence has increased which will help when it comes to presentations in university. My excel knowledge is now strong and I have learnt more about financial terms and how they work in a real business. There have been so many benefits from this placement year.
The Company
The majority of days our office was cheerful and we'd have a chat about life outside of work. However the jobs the team did were stressful so this cheerful environment wasn't always the case. Some days would be very quiet and people would be in and out of meetings all the time.
They knew the roles which we were taking over so the workload was handed over well. There was a good set up around organising goals and objectives and how to meet these. However improvements we suggested would be to have a better way of allowing all placements from different areas to work with each other.
For an internship I gained a lot. We were able to go to a day course which was around making the most of 24 hours in a day, this was incredibly beneficial and is something all other employees got to attend. I was given many financial trainings to also help me through the placement.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
Subsidised/Company Gym
Company Parties/Events
Staff Sales/Staff Shop
Working from home
As I am still not sure whether finance is what I want to go in to I haven't decided on whether to apply to the scheme. The scheme at this company is also national so could mean working abroad for 2 or more years which is a big consideration for me.
The Culture
It's like university where you meet new people, you either all get on or you split out into new groups etc. However the group which I socialised with always made sure that we had things goin for on on the weekends and evenings so I did enjoy my year with them.
It was in Maidenhead which is near London so it isn't the cheapest to live in.
I chose to live half an hour away from work, so in Reading. There was a very good nightlife there as it is home to a university. However if you lived in Maidenhead there is very little nightlife and can become dull at times. So it depends what you choose to do.
The boys could do football together and the girls were able to join netball. There was also the chance to join a touch rugby team.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
South West
August 2018