Legal and Property Research Analyst Review

I really enjoyed my internship with E3, particularly the responsibility which I was given and the fact that I was doing real work which the company would use. I liked the range and variety of tasks which I was involved with and how quickly I felt like a proper team member, as well as being able to focus on and develop my legal research independently whilst knowing that support and advice was readily available. I was amazed at the level of support which E3 provided, particularly the comprehensive induction, and always felt that my opinion was valued as much as other team members’. The whole team made me feel welcome from the very start.

I felt from very early on like a proper team member rather than ‘just an intern’ (based on general intern stereotypes and expectations) and was comfortable asking any colleague for help on whatever I was working on. No matter how busy the others were, they always made time to support me and made sure to catch up regularly, answer any questions I might have had and provide me with feedback.

I was supported and guided by the whole team, and had weekly meetings with [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions], who was supervising my legal research, to catch up on my progress and offer and advice or feedback. I was also expected to seek constructive feedback from all other team members and record it over the course of my time at E3, allowing me to track my own development and reflect positively on it. Even when out of the office and travelling around, [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] still made it a priority to catch up with me and stay up to date with what I was working on. Knowing how busy she was emphasised the amount of support which I was given. Each day I would establish and track my goals and progress, discussing this further with team members to ensure that priorities were clarified and qualified and helped with both short and long-term time management. This support and guidance reached beyond simply the work I was doing, and I felt that E3 was invested to the same high standard in my personal development as they were to my professional development. Part of my induction to E3 involved completing several psychometric profiles, the results of which I was able to apply to all areas of my life. For example, one of the profiles which the company uses is the Insights colour wheel which allowed me to better understand not only how I worked and where my strengths and weaknesses were, but how also to compare to the rest of the team and understand the team dynamic. This similarly fed into discussions and advice around wider goal setting.

I don’t think there was a single moment in my time at E3 where it was possible for me to feel bored, as I always had something to work on or could easily find something to do to help another team member. Sending out a daily task summary each day highlighted this for me and made me recognise how productive I had been and the variety of tasks which I had worked on, which was valuable both practically and commercially. Recording daily activities and time investment prevented my to-do list from ever becoming overwhelming as I could see each day that I was working through it, and also emphasised exactly how much the company was investing into my development and the value of time. This supported the induction process and formed part of approaching ongoing goals.

I was given a great deal of responsibility from early on, particularly in the legal research which I was undertaking. I was trusted to be self-propelling (which I discussed with Nicky most mornings) and to work through the various elements of the research in the most logical way. Similarly, I attended networking events and talked to people about the company despite knowing relatively little about the technical side compared to other E3 team members. This really surprised me but just demonstrates the fact that I was treated and valued like any other employee, which was a particularly important element of the internship for me. For example, I attended the Young Entrepreneurs in Property Southampton launch and also a speed networking event with two other team members, where we had a series of two-minute conversations which meant using my knowledge of E3’s services and experience and thinking on my feet.

As my degree subject is fairly unrelated to property tax, I wasn’t expecting there to be much overlap between my studies and the work I did at E3. I was pleasantly surprised to notice how many skills interacted between the two, and having joined E3 after my first year of university I have noticed how the skills I developed have had an impact in my second academic year. For example, the skills which I developed in the research I did for E3 have had a direct impact when researching around an essay title, or in the research I am doing as part of extra-curricular activities. The psychometric tests have also aided this, as I am much more aware of how I tend to approach situations and challenges and in turn can be more productive. They also developed my general self-awareness, particularly in terms of my choice of language which I am now consciously ensuring reflects the reality, rather than focussing on the negatives as I previously tended to.

The atmosphere is open, welcoming and relaxed, yet very professional. People regularly offered around teas and coffees, but also respected that others may want to concentrate on work and took care not to interrupt. Sharing opinions and ideas is also a central part of the team’s atmosphere and ethos, which in turn means that everyone is able to learn collectively from mistakes or experiences.

The internship was very well organised, from the application process through to the review, but this didn’t stop it from being adapted to me as an individual. Prior to commencing I had to read ‘Eat that Frog!’ and ‘Who moved my cheese?’ to aid me in adapting to E3’s culture and working in a business environment, which introduced me to the company’s unique approach before my first day. There were many resources available for processes which were almost always accompanied by discussions, ensuring that each process was truly understood and internalised. These included, for example, a wide range of books and guides on different elements of business which we were encouraged to borrow and read. I felt that E3 have really captured the combination of organisation and communication in their internship setup, allowing it to be structured, personal and flexible.

Throughout my time at E3 I had to keep track of the time each team member invested in me, and the consequent time and value of this to the company. This emphasised the personal investment that E3 makes towards each team member and without doing this, I definitely wouldn’t have realised quite how much the business invests in each employee. Elements of this, such as the psychometric profiles, were initially more obvious than others, but I also recognised the amount of time which each time member took to support me and the value of this (to me and the company). Similarly, there was a focus on being increasingly self-aware and as a result of discussions with [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] I was able to be more realistic and positive in the way I spoke and used language, rather than being a perfectionist and only seeing negatives. This was beneficial to the work I produced but also reached far beyond, and I have since noticed a positive difference in the way I approach challenging assignments or classes at university.

After the initial 6-week internship with E3 I had the opportunity to remain with the company and have continued to work for them since returning to university, acting as a Brand Ambassador and writing articles for them. Currently, I am developing the company’s existing relationship with the university and have also written an article which highlights how the skills I develop in my degree are beneficial in business and my role at E3.

As a team, we regularly went out for meals together and I really enjoyed getting to know the others outside of the office.

E3 helped me to find affordable accommodation in Southampton whilst I was working there in nearby university halls of residence. As the accommodation was let out at a reduced cost over summer, it actually cost me less to stay and park there than my term time residence (although at a different university) at less than £500/month.

There are a number of clubs and bars near to the office and as a student town, there is opportunity for an active nightlife.

As a large city, Southampton is full of opportunities to get involved in new activities. There are various fascinating historical remains scattered across the city and the easy access to rivers and the sea provide the chance to take up new water sports.