Customer Service & Business Strategy Intern at American Express

Top Employer
Duration
Internship (1-4 Months)
Region
Brighton South East
Review Date
Salary
£30,000+
Roles
Business Analytics
American Express is a Top Employer

8.6/10

The Role
8.7
Organisation
8.4

Socialising

8.8

The Role

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

I absolutely loved my experience at Amex. For such a big company, the culture is fantastic and everyone is so helpful and welcoming! This doesn't just apply to colleagues in the same office as me but to my colleagues around the world who I was able to collaborate with while working on global projects.

9/10

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

Having only been there for 10 weeks, it's really difficult to believe the relationships that I made during my time at Amex. There are strong relationships between colleagues all over the business and there was never a moment where I felt out of place or any different because of the fact that I was an intern.

9/10

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

The management structure was perfectly architected to allow useful feedback at project milestones while also representing the opportunity to engage with senior leadership. In my business area, the hierarchy was clear but never daunting. I did not feel hesitant to ask for support from any of the 3 levels of leadership immediately above me.

9/10

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

Given it was such a short internship, there was always work to be done. Project work was of paramount importance but the importance of experiencing the wider company was also emphasised so, if there was time, I would often connect with people in other areas of the business. Managing the workload was a great experience especially as I was handling 2 projects.

9/10

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

The work being done by myself, and all interns to my knowledge, was simply work that would have been done by a permanent project analyst had we not been there. This undertaking of real-life projects shows the faith Amex put in the interns and there high levels of performance they expect.

8/10

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

The workload management skills and presentation skills that I developed on this internship will be invaluable to me in my final year of universities and in my future more generally. A key part of my role was also to engage stakeholders and this is something that will be occurring in personal situations throughout life.

8/10

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

Extremely upbeat and full of great characters. In my team it was a well-respected principle that the happiness of the team would be represented in the performance of the team. As such, we worked hard and also had a great time whenever possible. The atmosphere is one of determination but also of enjoyment in the work being done.

10/10

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

The internship was fantastically well organised. The project work was challenging and engaging while not being too overwhelming for such a short time in the company. There were also very spoiling social events throughout there internship which really showed the company in great light and highlighted then healthy work-life balance.

9/10

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

We undertook excel training and presentation training in our first week but, in my opinion, the greatest investment was in the time that senior leaders were willing to give up to interact with interns and give them an insight into the senior management of a large corporation such as amex.

9/10

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

  • Subsidised Canteen
  • Subsidised/Company Gym
  • Company Parties/Events
  • Working from home
  • Healthcare/Dental
5/10

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

Future employment prospects are fantastic within the organisation. Salary levels are high and graduates are well-respected within the company and expected to achieve very highly in the company. There is also the opportunity to grow at the company as it is encouraged to experience many different functions and move regularly while there.

9/10

Social

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

Fantastic social scene between all colleagues, whether interns, grads or even Vice Presidents. There were the events organised by the company but other than that we would regularly be celebrating birthdays etc. or even just undertaking pub quizzes. Shared interests also led to socialising. While at amex I played squash with colleagues on a couple of occasions.

10/10

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

High but not as high as London. If there permanently, you can live a higher quality of life than in London as housing is not as expensive but wages are comparable. Socialising can be expensive but nothing far out of the ordinary for the south coast. Plus the train to London is quick.

7/10

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

Brighton is a really fun place and is a great place to live as a young professional. There are a lot of cool bars and the people you work with will know the best spots. It';s certainly a very unique place and somewhere that young people can have lot of fun.

9/10

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

There were a lot but as an intern there wasn't much time to get involved. Amex is heavily involved in PRIDE and there are may interest networks promoted by amex. Being a sizeable city, amex has lots of opportunities outside work. A colleague played a lot of netball and as I said I would play squash.

9/10

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