Commercial Investment Review

My time at Savills was very enjoyable. The team was welcoming and had plenty for me to do on a daily basis. The work load included a variety of tasks, each one different to the other which kept the work load interesting. Everyone was helpful and had a good attitude when I asked for help. They explained tasks clearly when I was unsure and helped me along the way. During my time I was given a lot of responsibility which made me feel part of the team.

I was made to feel part of the team. Everyone was welcoming and the tasks that I was given were of importance. They delegated a variety of tasks which kept the work interesting. They explained things clearly with a pleasant attitude, making it a comfortable environment to work in.

I was allocated a ‘mentor’ for the time that I was working at Savills. He was very helpful and welcomed any questions that I had. He did not hesitate to come over and explain things clearly making it easy to understand. I was also welcomed by the teams personal assistant who was able to help with any technical issues, from signing on to the systems and orientating my way through the companies files. It was very helpful.

As an intern who was only going to be in the office for one month, it is understandable that I would not be able to get stuck into a full project. However, the team made an immense effort to get me involved in what was going on with deals and opportunities that they were following up. I was delegated tasks on a daily basis which kept me busy, with thee tasks being of importance and not just trivial. This made the work load interesting and was a great opportunity to learn more about a career in property.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my time at Savills. More than what I had originally expected. I was involved in important tasks that were important to the teams success. I was also involved in confidential conversations, making me feel trusted and valued.

This experience has been very helpful in further developing my understanding of a career in property. I was able to apply what I had learned in university. Some of the live projects that I had worked on in university provided me with some knowledge of the market that I was able to contribute in various conversations. It gave me the opportunity to further understand the dynamics/relationships between various professions in the market. This is what you are not able to learn in university and is a great benefit that I have been fortunate to gain during my time at Savills.

The atmosphere in the office is very relaxed, yet still highly professional. The people are friendly and everyone has a great deal of respect for everyone. It is an open office so all teams communicate and benefit from each others expertise. From an intern’s point of view, this openness gives you exposure to other departments which allows you to pick up on other departments responsibilities. This made the experience even more beneficial.

This placement was very well organised. On my first day I was welcomed by a member of staff who gave me a welcome package with everything that I needed to get started (computer sign on , stationery, work booklets, information booklets etc). I was designated a desk for the whole time I was working in the office which was central to the team that I was working for (Investment). Everyone in the office was informed that I was going to working here for the month so everyone had some work set aside that I was able to get on with. This ensured that my time was well spend in the office.

As an intern, there was no need to invest in training or anything of the sort. It would have been unnecessary. Although, I was chatting to everyone in the office and had various meetings with some people to get a better understanding of the business. The time that people spent on me in the office was most valuable. I suppose this would be the equivalent of training or development programmes.

I have been shortlisted to the graduate intake for September 2013. Need to go through the aplpication process so I may have a graduate job depending on my performance during this time.

Everyone was very social in the office. I was invited along to various social events and I was asked out for drinks with the team.

Glasgow is relatively cheap to go out. Transport was the main cost which was a daily return train costing £10.25 with rail card. This was about a 50 min commute each day. Lunch was around £3 - £5 a day depending on what you got. Plenty of places for lunch (either take-out or sit-in) around the office.

Glasgow nightlife is good. plenty of clubs, bars, restaurants etc. Just like any other major city centre.

There were a few events that I was invited to outside of work. This was mainly MRICS events which are held on a monthly basis. Great opportunities to network.