Investment Consulting Industrial Placement Review

The work placement has been thoroughly enjoyable, both in terms of the actual work I have been set, as well as the frequent social events with colleagues. Everybody has been incredibly friendly, welcoming and understanding in introducing me into the team and work. There have been technical sessions to boost my understanding, and there is always somebody on hand to answer any questions I have.

Very much so. During the placement, I have been invited and involved in numerous social events where I have been able to talk with all members of the team, from fellow interns to partners. At the beginning of the internship, I was also assigned a connector/buddy who has been very helpful in introducing me to members of the team and getting involved in work and events. Being assigned to a wide range of clients, I have also had a lot of exposure to different projects with most team members.

There has been an incredible amount of support, from initial meetings and techncial sessions to weekly catch-ups with my manager. Whenever I am assigned work, my supervisor is always there to brief me on the work and then answer any questions whilst I am working on it. Even if somebody is not directly my supervisor, everybody is always keen to assist me on my work.

Like most jobs, there are certain times which are busier and the workload is greater, however there is usually a steady stream of work on a daily basis to keep me busy and occupied. During the busiest times, my manager and buddy checked on me to make sure that the workload was manageable and not too much, which was very helpful. Since you are at a junior level, nobody expects you to work late so I was able to leave at a good time throughout.

As a placement year employee, I was very much involved and included in client projects and within a few weeks of starting emailed fund managers and contributed to materials and reports that would go directly to the client. Everybody is very keen to get you involved, and I was assigned to over 10 clients to experience different groups. I therefore had a lot of responsibility.

From an academic perspective, I study Finance and it's interesting to pick up on the technical details which I have met in my studies and might be able to take back when I return for my final year at university. I have also greatly developed my teamwork, communication and time-management skills which will undoubtedly be beneficial back at university and beyond.

There is a lovely atmosphere in the office - everybody is very friendly, there are social events every week (often more than one), and a snack desk which is somehow always full with treats. There is agile working in the office which means you can change seats everyday - this means you can talk with everyone. Nobody has their own individual office room which makes it all the more open.

The Aon internship programme has been going on for many years and so there is a planned and robust structure in place. At the beginning of the internship, all interns and placement students met for an induction which gave an overview of the firm and training sessions, as well as social events. Every week for the first eight, we had a lunch&learn sessions where we had further techncial training. After the eight weeks, we all met together again to present on a charity project we had been working on. Overall, there was a very good structure.

I think that the firm has been well prepared to invest in my development - we have been issued with a laptop, stationary and calculator so have the equipment we need to work. We also have mandatory online training courses, in a range of topics, which let us learn about topics we might not encounter in work.

Working for Aon in the future is definitely appealing - you can tell they value and invest a lot in you, and the team is very welcoming. The working enviroment is very nice too; challenging and appealing but not painstakingly stressful. As a placement student, 12 months is a good time for you to showcase your skills as opposed to just 9 weeks for the summer internship too.

Definitely, the social scene is one of the highlights of working at Aon. Atleast once a week there is a social happening, and not restricted to just drinks. For example, we recently went to mini golf, and lunch out is frequent. There is also a team budget so we sometimes get Aon funded events which is always nice.

Since I was based in the Birmingham office, the cost of living was decent when compared to London. That said, travel isn't cheap and there is no student discount on a 12 month travel-pass. The salary definitely covers everything though and there is an understanding that as a university student you won't be paying excessive amounts.

Nightlife in Birmingham city centre is good, I have never visited so many places as I have since working here and going with colleagues. My teammates can definitely tell you the best places to go and we visit a range rather than sticking with one to go to all the time.

As mentioned, there are a lot of social events. Besides this, there are also weekly football and yoga sessions which you can get involved in. There is plenty to get involved in and your schedule will be busy but not necessarily overloaded with opportunities which is probably a good thing.