Summer Scheme Student in Planning Review

I have enjoyed being involved in a variety of projects and working with different members of the team. It has been interesting being able to get out of the office on site visits, tenders and a hearing as well as time spent in the office at the desk. It has also been good getting to know a new city as I had never been to Southampton before, and I have enjoyed going to other parts of the South coast and seeing new places on both my days at work and my days off.

I felt valued as the team are friendly and approachable and it did not take long to settle in. There were a couple of social events which I went to in the first week which helped to get to know the team. These included a welcome lunch on the second day and drinks after work on the first Thursday. On the final day we also went out for lunch as a team which was nice way to say goodbye to the team.

The support has been good on placement. I had a mentor who I knew in advance so I could ask for them when I arrived on my first day. I also received pre arrival information which related to the Summer Scheme Guidelines and a preliminary regional schedule which included the itinerary for the webinars that I would be involved with. I also had a mid placement review with someone from HR, as well as an appraisal at the end of the placement with a director.

The skills I have developed during placement will be very useful for my degree and future careers. I have been able to use the knowledge which I have developed from my degree and apply it to the workplace. Similarly, I will be able to use the practical skills from my time on placement and use these during my studies. These include team working and presentation skills. Work at university can often feel very theoretical so it has been good to supplement this with the practical experience of a professional placement.

The placement was well organised. When I first had my interview I was asked to select my preferred dates for the placement. I then found out I had been successful for the placement and was given my first choice of dates which was satisfying. I also received a lot of preliminary information for the placement so I felt well prepared for what to expect and the HR team were available to contact if I had any queries. The regional schedule included the times for the various webinars which I needed to take part in during my placement. I also had a mid placement review and an appraisal at the end of my placement and I had to set some goals about what I wanted to achieve which were reviewed on both of these occasions.

The atmosphere was pleasant. It was a professional environment but that was to be expected. The team were all friendly and approachable which made the office more welcoming. The placement at Savills has reinforced my interest in planning as a future career and I will definitely be applying for the graduate scheme in the Autumn. From my short time here, it seems like a great company to be a part of which is why I will be applying for the graduate scheme.

I would say that the company put a lot of investment in me. I was successful from my application so the company chose me to take part in the placement which was encouraging. I was also paid during my placement so that was a further incentive to be engaged and involved with the work. Savills also put on a lot of webinars for the Summer Scheme students which were a great way to learn about different departments and I enjoyed listening to these.

I was able to speak to graduates directly and talk about what it was like to be a graduate at Savills which was very beneficial. I also spoke to the director of planning who leads the graduate recruitment programme for planning, which was a great insight. I have also been involved with a variety of projects within the team and they have not held me back from getting involved. I have a good idea of what a full time graduate planner role involves.

I have been able to sit in meetings and meet clients so this has given me a greater understanding of how Savills operates in a professional context. Webinars have made me realise that there are so many different departments with Savills which I was not aware of.

This placement has reinforced my ambition to become a chartered town planner and I will definitely be applying for the graduate scheme in the Autumn. I have also been able to talk to team members about advice on future careers and masters courses in the future. They also said I would be welcome to email them in the future if I had any questions.

I think that being paid was one of my incentives to apply for the scheme. It has definitely encouraged me to put effort into my work. I have also done unpaid placements in the past so it is a welcome change. I was also reimbursed for the train ticket which I bought on the way back from a site visit and the taxis I took to and from a tender.

I attended an APC event which the office held and met other professionals from other Savills' offices and firms. I also met people from the other Savills' teams in Southampton during the evening drinks after work. At the planning hearing which I attended I met the other clients which Savills were working with.

They were enjoyable and included drinks after work or meals out. It was more of an informal way to meet and speak to people

No I didn't but I didn't really ask. I know that Savills arrange various events with the clients that they work with. For example, at the end of the month they are going to the Bournemouth Air Show with some of their clients.

I would definitely recommend this experience as it has been really good gaining some practical experience in planning to complement my theoretical knowledge from university.