People Function Internship Review

During my internship I have been working on real projects, not just work shadowing. This has given me a tangible output during my time here and has made all the hard work enjoyable. During my internship I have met with a wide variety of people, all of whom were friendly and helpful. Nobody was ever too busy and people always made some time for me. In a short period of time the development opportunities offered to me was huge, this ranged from online training, lunchtime sessions and coaching to name just a few. My time here gave me a real insight into how what I study can be put into practice, something which I will benefit me when I return to university next year.

I can honestly say that I have never worked in a company with such friendly and helpful people. The induction I received on my first day really made me feel that the company valued me. I was made to feel welcome within the team I was working in and never once felt like I wasn't a part of it. I went to every team meeting, something which really helped to increase my knowledge of what the whole team was doing. There is a great community of graduates within the company who were always willing to take time out to make sure that I was getting on ok and who were willing to give me guidance when needed.

I think that I was given the perfect amount of support and guidance. I had two placement managers who were both always more than willing to help me and answer my many questions, I honestly could not rate them highly enough. I also had a buddy during my time here; this was someone who was on the graduate scheme who I met with regularly to talk about how I was getting on. I think that this really helped me to settle in. While the support given was great, I also had the freedom to work independently when I could, this really helped me to develop my skills and give me insight into what it would be like to work here full time. The support I was given is, in my opinion, one of the best aspects of this internship.

The amount of work I had varied from day to day, this was good as it gave a realistic view of working in the company. I always had something to do, I was never left sitting bored with nothing to do. There were times when I was busier than others, but this was always manageable and I never had too much to do to the point that I couldn’t cope. The level of support I had also meant that I never felt overwhelmed by my workload.

I honestly was surprised (in a good way) by the level of responsibility that I was given, but there was always support there if I needed it. During my internship I was working on real projects, this wasn't just work shadowing. I went to meetings with people from all over the company and spoke to people from all over the world! At all times I felt as if I was really being listened to and that people were interested in what I had to say.

During my time here I gained a real insight into how a real life HR function works, this will prove invaluable when I return to university. Through the projects I have been working on I have developed my organisational, communicational and written skills to name just a few. I have also learnt the importance of stakeholder management, something that will benefit me no matter what I do in the future. During my time here I went to lunchtime masterclasses which improved a wide range of my skills, for example thanks to one of these classes I now feel more confident when giving presentations. Online training also provided me with the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of things that will impact upon the business. These really increased my industry knowledge, something which could be applied to future assignments at university.

The team I was working in all seemed to get on really well together. The team was really supportive of each other and I felt like I could go to anyone if I needed help.

From the welcome day to the arranging of buddies for all interns the placement was organised perfectly. There were lots of opportunities to catch up with other interns and also for learning and development.

During my internship I completed online training courses, attended lunchtime masterclasses and got the opportunity to listen to members of the executive team speak and to ask them questions. This was in addition to the more on the job training and development I received through being allowed to complete a wide range of tasks and always receiving structured feedback about what I had done well and how I could improve.

I would really like to come back to work in the company after university. I am looking into applying for a graduate scheme in a different function to the one that I completed my internship in.

All of the interns socialised together, this included all having lunch at the same time to organising things for after work and at the weekend.

I stayed at home during my internship, however interns who could not do this were offered accommodation in Edinburgh which was paid for by the company.

Edinburgh has a great nightlife with something for everyone! The Edinburgh Festival is on during the summer, this is a great chance to see some up and coming or existing comedians and shows.

There were a wide variety of clubs to join and they were open to anyone.