Capital Allowances Intern Review

I really enjoyed Savills internship because I felt a huge sense of pride working for a company with the reputation that Savills has. In addition to this, I was able to see a survey through to the end which has overall developed my skills further and should be a good stepping stone for jobs in the future. Furthermore, the generosity of the Capital Allowances and Recruitment Team helped me feel welcomed and ensured I enjoyed the insight scheme.

I felt very valued during my time at Savills because I was able to assist on a Capital Allowance claim for a property in Tooting. In addition to this, I was left to do excel spreadsheets which showed the teams faith in my abilities, as well as this, if i had any queries then they would be answered. Overall my contributions felt very valued and I couldn't have felt more involved with the Capital Allowances team.

During the insight I received a sufficient amount of guidance/support with different tasks. For example I would be shown how to complete a task and then attempt it myself. In addition to this, if I had any queries then the Capital Allowances team would answer them to ensure I can complete an area I may be stuck with. Lastly I was also supported with how to book meeting rooms etc, and possible places I could go for lunch in relation to social activities.

I believe the skills I developed and attained will be very useful in assisting me with my degree studies. This is because I was able to complete relevant tasks in relation to my degree which can further my learning on the topic. Additionally I have done similar work at University, so to have conducted this work at a practical level for a huge company like Savills will give me experience for jobs in the future.

The insight was very well structured with my office hours set out from the start. In addition to this, meetings were scheduled through the Outlook app which helped me plan my days accordingly so that I could work around them. Furthermore, although it was only a week placement rather than six weeks, it was beneficial to receive experience in the department I worked in and this illustrated how the tasks I was set had been set out seamlessly.

The general atmosphere on the office floor was good as everyone seemed to get on well, but perhaps there could have been more banter between colleagues. I guess this is due to the different teams being constantly busy throughout the day, so it is hard not to focus on projects and other tasks. Although, everyone was really nice and it was an easy area to work in, ensuring work was complete on time, so I would definitely like to work at Savills again.

The company invested a lot of time into my personal training and development via powerpoints, one on one talks and visual learning. Although the work was similar to a piece of coursework I've completed at University, I was still able to develop my learning especially in relation to experience of working in the industry. Lastly, I have learnt valuable skills that i will be able to apply to my course and potentially jobs in the future.

Although the insight was only a week I understood what it would be like to have a full time role with Savills. Within the department everything is really coordinated so you and your colleagues are working on the same projects together and generally on the same page as communication is efficient. Outside of the department, the zoom calls with other departments helped me understand why employees enjoyed working at Savills and their constant passion to deliver at high levels.

The insight was kind of helpful in supporting my understanding of the company culture and shows that Savills is a company that thrives of having a strong relationship with clients but also showed how clients can be difficult so you have to adapt to different people you meet throughout the sector. Additionally, Savills thrives of attention to detail and high quality which was demonstrated throughout the department as work was completed efficiently and to a good standard.

Working in Capital Allowances showed an aspect of the potential career path I can down as a Quantity Surveying student, but after having multiple chats with the team they also explained how there were a few departments at Savills that link to surveying. In addition to this, the content showed what life is like as a surveyor in an office, but I was also fortunate enough to be able to go on site and survey a property.

I was not paid, but was reimbursed expenses for my travel. This was very generous of Savills because travelling from Milton Keynes to London for a week can really accumulate costs. However, the travel was really worth it as I have enjoyed myself and developed my skills further to help ensure I can achieve as high a grade as possible for my degree. As well as this, its very important to gain experience for similar jobs in the future.

There were perhaps opportunities to meet other employees from the rest of the firm after having a few zoom calls with different departments but it would have been difficult to meet them because you don't really venture away from your floor. However, there were opportunities to meet other interns from the rest of the company but this would be more outside office hours to go for a social drink or meet up for food at lunch.

I was able to look at the department via the website connect and schedule meetings via emails. However there was a lack of social event opportunities perhaps to me only being her for a week but other speaking to my colleagues in the department they said social events only occur once every three months in Capital Allowances. Although opportunities were presented to me by other interns to go for drinks after work or meet up for food at lunch.

I didn't find out about activities that employees in the Capital Allowances department can get involved in outside of work, due to it being a very work driven department and perhaps a lack of available opportunities. However after attending the zoom calls for other departments there was a brief section on the possible activities employees can get involved in, as well as different social events, which shows Savills try to create a more entertaining environment within the workforce.

I would recommend this insight to a friend because they can gain valuable experience in the property market which can better their chances with interviewing for jobs in the future. In addition to this, it will most likely help with their studies and assist with understanding different modules. Lastly, I have the social life in London is really good and when you work in a nice team it can make the whole work-social life balance enjoyable.