Business and IT Intern Review

My day-to-day at Siemens consisted of a plethora of meetings, both with internal customers and team members, but also external suppliers of an application I was helping to implement. I worked alongside the cybersecurity team to conduct information security assessments on a supplier of an application an internal Siemens customer had requested to implement. I was responsible for considering a multitude of factors to ensure an application was rated fairly, ensuring it reflected the suppliers cybersecurity position, which impacted the assessment and recommendations Siemens would make to ensure their standards were met.

The key skill I was able to develop was that of time management. My role consisted of keeping track of a lot of different projects, all at different stages. I learned how to effectively use the Microsoft Suite tools to map my work for the week, which gave me the freedom to decide what I wanted to do in a day. One key skill I gained was that of ensuring that meeting objectives were outlined before the meeting, to ensure discussions were productive. I learned the importance of taking meeting notes that were understandable for all, ensuring that next steps could be clearly defined and actioned after a meeting had been conducted.

Once I had learned the processes I needed to, I was given a lot of independence to go away and complete tasks. At first, I would do this and consult with the rest of the team to ensure everything I had done was correct and up to standard. For some aspects of my job, this trend continued all year - which I enjoyed because it meant I could learn and get feedback from industry experts. On the contrary to this, there were other aspects of my role that, once learned, I was expected to manage and maintain. This helped me feel as though I was adding a lot of value. I also enjoyed the confidence and trust Siemens put in me to do these tasks, some being critical to ensuring applications ran as expected.

I was introduced to an amazing support network during my time at Siemens. I did not realise how many people I would meet that would have little to no relevance to my everyday job. Siemens relaxed way of working meant that I was given the opportunity to leave my desk and talk to colleagues in the office, which really helped me to develop good friendships with those in the wider team. Siemens placement program also ensured that Early Careers Talent got the opportunity to meet each other. Being a little further away from the rest of the intern group at Siemens meant I could sometimes feel isolated. However, Siemens allowed me to travel to meet these people and also allowed me to work on projects with them, taking time out of my day-to-day to pursue interests outside my work.

As previously mentioned, the company has a very relaxed culture, which is surprising for a company of Siemens size. I enjoyed the freedom I was given to own my day-to-day life; deciding where to work, deciding what I wanted to do during the day, deciding where I wanted to sit in the office. Alongside this, Siemens has a great passion for employee development. Siemens provided a great learning platform that had a plethora of classes on it that would meet everyone's interests. Siemens actively promotes going on this site and accumulating learning hours. Investing in their own employees growth is something I really loved seeing.

I enjoyed my internship experience to a great extent for a multitude of reasons: One key reason I enjoyed it was due to the flexibility of working. I was able to start my day around 8am and leave work at 4pm, to go and enjoy my afternoon. This helped me feel more motivated and not as burned out when I went to work. Another key reason I loved working at Siemens is because of the networking opportunities I got. I was able to travel up to Siemens main office in Manchester (even though I was based in Poole, some 200 miles away) to meet other interns and grow connections with them that I still cherish to this day.

Yes

My advice would be to be yourself. During my experience I was given many opportunities to do things I did not expect to be doing because I was myself. People identified me as confident and chatty, which lead to me hosting a raffle at our Early Careers Gala, an opportunity I did not expect to get, but did because I was myself! My other piece of advice would be to explore topics outside of your line of work that you are interested in. Siemens wants you to get involved with things you enjoy, and line managers allow you to take the time to pursue these passions that lie outside your day job.