Summer Scheme Student Review

The Savills Summer Scheme is really interesting. Being able to see loads of different projects and types of jobs associated with the role was really useful. Being able to sit in an office and also go out on site really enabled me to understand the broad range of activities the job offers.

I felt that I was very welcome in the Southampton office and settled in really well. I wasn't made to feel like the odd-one out at all and was able to come to work without any worry about what the atmosphere would be like. Work was always given to me and wasn't left with nothing to do.

I was always set tasks with a bit of a background insight first and it was always checked to make sure I was aware of what I was doing. It is good to be able to try and do the work and figure out what it is you're doing first before asking for help. However I knew that if I needed help that all I had to do was ask.

The experience you receive on any work placement/insight scheme is invaluable. Seeing the practice in real life and being able to apply it is so important. Also you learn things that you might not know you have picked up until it becomes relevant and can be used later down the line.

The insight did have some elements of structure, but sometimes there are days when you are left to just carry on with your desk work, as well as scheduled site visits. There was a Summer Scheme Project that needed to be completed throughout the month which did allow for some focus, as well as training projects to be completed together nationally.

The atmosphere in the office was positive. There were often times where everyone was busy working and so there was little office discussion, but this is not a bad thing. The office is a very focussed space but this is mainly due to the type of work everyone was doing.

The company made sure I was capable of doing tasks and were available to answer questions as/when I needed to ask them. The scheme also provided 'training' tasks that were related to the many different departments the company has to offer which was very insightful. The scheme focussed on your pathway but made sure you weren't blinkered to it.

The scheme was very good at providing details about other departments as well as your own, which was useful because even if you're confident in your chosen pathway, it is really useful to know how the departments work together on some projects. Also, the range of activities offered shows how broad the job can be.

The company culture was very well portrayed throughout the month. The company's ethos was made to be clear. However it was not a big part of the scheme. I think company culture is something that you need to pick over more time. I do feel I understand the basics of what I feel is important to the company.

The content was intellectually stimulating and was challenging. It is good to be able to see many different lines of work within the role and work out not what specific line you're more interested in. In a job like planning, there are different ways you could go so even if you're sure on the general path it is useful to see the smaller paths too.

There normally would have been as the office normally hosts an office drinks every month but unfortunately this month it did not happen due to members of staff being away. However, there was an opportunity to socialise with graduates and newly qualified staff over a lunch which was nice to chat and see what the job is like.

The opportunities were more limited compared to the London office, where I think they had slightly more events. However, there was an opportunity to network with other graduates and I could talk to staff when we went to site visits, meetings and committees together which was really useful and insightful.

There were some 'training' sessions that were nationally completed and often the departments that were talking discussed the different aspects of work and the social life involved. While I was here there was also an opportunity to get involved in a dodge-ball competition which would have been against another company.

I think the scheme is really useful overall and therefore would definitely recommend this insight to a friend. I am sure that most schemes are useful as any opportunity to gain experience in the work place is valuable. However I know that this scheme provides an array of activities, structure and provides invaluable experience.