Summer scheme intern Review

I was tasked with assisting in the day to day roles of a Retail Property Manager. This included (but was not limited to): Construction of service charge budgets/reports; Service charge reconciliation; Lease reading; Arrears chasing; Turnover schedule construction; Site visits, specifically to retail park sites/shopping malls. Additionally, I attended regular team update meetings, regarding status of properties under management.

I have learnt how to read a lease, understanding specific, and occasionally nuanced terms found within a contract. I have greatly improved my communication skills, as a result of numerous interactions with tenants regarding their arrears and/or providing understanding of their lease terms. I have also improved my analytical skills. Specifically, I have become more efficient at data analysis.

I was given immediate responsibility, developing turnover schedules and arrears spreadsheets which were sent directly to clients. From my first day, I was contacting tenants regarding their arrears.

I was given help and assistance at all points that I needed them. At no point did any of my team members withhold guidance, even when they were busy. Furthermore, the entire team was available via Microsoft Teams when out of the office. The recruitment team were incredibly helpful also. They set up numerous departmental overview sessions, so that I was fully able to grasp different areas of the business.

The company culture is the aspect of this placement that probably surprised me the most. The majority of individuals within the office were incredibly friendly, offering greetings even without knowing who I was. The general atmosphere of the office is lively, enthusiastic, and truly feels like somewhere that people enjoy working.

I did not expect to enjoy this placement quite as much as I have. I am leaving, wishing that it would've lasted for longer. I feel that I have made an incredible amount of connections, and felt welcomed into the team from the very first day.

Yes

Do not worry if you come from a non-cognate degree background. I feared while joining the internship, that I would really struggle with the pace of work having not come from a real estate background. On the contrary, while the work has been challenging, it has also been exciting, and there is a huge amount of support if you ask for it.