Pre-university Trainee Review

A lot of the work had very steep learning curves but with appropriate support systems so they were doable and therefore the work is very rewarding. There were also lots of opportunities to socialise with people around the company, which made the placement more enjoyable.

I felt that I was valued by my colleagues in social circles however within the work I did, there was only this feeling in some projects, others being very professional and leaning towards being very mechanical.

There were good support systems set up throughout my placement, as you are designated a development manager who can help out if you have non-technical problems and for technical problems, there were pathways set up and a lot of people who were willing to help.

There were times where it was a challenge to keep up with the work, as it can be technically challenging but also hard to manage therefore some days you were super busy. However, there are times where you have not been told what to do and will have to take the initiative. These times, however, enabled me to hone some technical skills.

The level of responsibility grew as the placement went on, and there were times where you felt like there was something on the line however it was never really a push. I do feel lime there were times, I hoped I could take more responsibility, but it may be hard to make a business case for that.

There were weekly events where you could learn new skills or improve on new skills, with also dedicated time for you to learn what you felt may help you, all of this has helped me immensely to gain knowledge which will help me in my degree studies but also further into my professional life.

The office is very large and open, therefore there were bubbles of different types of atmosphere. There were a lot of small things set up which helped brighten up the mood, like fruits and cakes. However, there were times where it could get a little dull.

The organisation specifically for the placement was not set up flawlessly, with there being a change in the way to take pre-university placements however once I got settled in, I understood that it was not necessarily a lack of organisation but more so freedom to structure things yourself, which I found very beneficial.

The company was happy to invest in training and development throughout my placement, there were charettes which I could attend and also paid time I could use to learn new things. There were also times where I found third party events I was interested in, which they helped me fund.

It is very appealing as it is a great workplace, however, there is nothing concrete I have signed, which says I will come back. There are ways and options for me to come back in the future.

There were no other pre-university students, however, due to the events you attend you are around the graduates a lot. I ended up being part of the graduates social circle and as a result of this, there was a good social scene.

The cost of living and socialising anywhere near central London, as expected, is very expensive.

Excluding the prices, you are a few minutes walk away from some very popular areas for nightlife in London and the pubs near the workplace are very good too.

It was quite difficult for me to get involved in out of work activities as I had a very long commute, however, there were still activities like football I participated in.