Insight Week Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the insight week I completed at Savills. Even though the duration of the placement was restricted due to COV-19, I am extremely grateful for Savills for still making the effort to organise the placement and enable me to gain valuable exposure to the industry. I was given exposure to a wide range of projects from the outset of my placement and everyone in the office was both friendly and eager to help if I had any questions.

I felt very valued over the course of the week internship I conducted at Savills. I was kept busy with numerous projects and the staff took their time to give me detailed insights into their projects and key concepts used in the industry such as Red Book Valuations. The staff also made sure that I had the opportunity to experience what it was like to conduct a site visit and meet with clients.

Even though the company was operating a flexible home working scheme, I was assigned a mentor who was at the office everyday I was in the office. This was very useful given the high turnover of people in the office owing to the flexible working policy. My mentor was very helpful in helping me get set up on the companies systems and frequently checked in on my progress. I was also guidance from a range of people across the whole company through a series of zoom presentations and Q&A sessions.

Whilst the amount of skills I could develop was limited due to the short duration of my placement, it will still be useful for my future studies. Having an appreciation of the real world application of theories I will learn next year in my master's degree will make the course more engaging. This week long placement was also very useful in teaching me who to conduct market research on residential properties and prospective development sites.

The insight week contained a good mixture of structured sessions, such as the zoom presentations and Q&A sessions, and unstructured time where I could get involved in real world projects for clients. Being assigned a mentor who was responsible for assigning me work during the placement also meant that I constantly had interesting work to do during the unstructured periods. Efforts were also made to ensure that an inspection report was organised during the week that I would be able to attend.

The general office atmosphere was very friendly and relaxed, which made it an ideal place to gain experience. People made an effort to introduce themselves and tell me that they were happy to answer any questions that I may have or help me in any way they could. Also, the procedures they had put in place to reduce the potential transmission of COVID-19, such as providing face masks, also served to make me feel more comfortable.

There was limited formal training as my learning was mainly on the job learning. This is what I expected from a week placement.

It was useful as I got involved in real world projects.

The insight was very useful in understanding the company culture as I saw how people interacted with each other in the office and how willing they were to help one another.

The insight was very useful as it confirmed my interest to work in the property sector as I got to experience real world jobs that I would be carrying out after I graduate.

I was reimbursed any expenses up to £100.

Yes the company put on zoom session were there were Q&A sessions with employees across several departments of the firm who worked in different offices to myself.

Unfortunately, networking events were very limited due to COVD-19 and the duration of the placement.

This didnt really come up.

I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend. I think it is very useful for anyone who is considering a career in the property industry.