This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I enjoyed my work placement, from the variety of roles I undertook to the variety of clients in different industries I worked with and the different deployment locations which mixed work and travel.
I changed 3 teams in the course of the year and I always felt a part of the team each time. Frequent team meetings and socials allowed everyone to come together and get to know each other. Each client account has a separate "People" team, responsible with organising events and trainings meant to transform a group of people into teams.
The support received different across my roles. Some projects were busier than others, so I sometimes received less support, sometimes more. Generally, if you have a question there will be someone to answer it, provided you do not ask the same thing twice (I think that applies in general). In some cases, I was required to book one-to-one's with supervisors either monthly or every other week; short meetings to check on my progress. It was really helpful, even if I did not have something major to discuss, because at one point you get really accustomed to the role and confident in what you are supposed to do, but it was a great opportunity to spend time with my manager, get to know her and learn from her as much as I can.
Again, it depended on the role and project, but generally I was kept busy. For me, this is a good thing, it means I learned a lot and I did not get bored.
I was not considered an Intern or Placement Student, I was working as an Analyst. I was generally given a lot of responsibility and I was accountable for my work.
Training opportunities depend on the role and project, again. In my last project, I had to work with certain software (Photoshop, Final Cut, Adobe Illustrator), so I received training on these. In other projects, I was doing general project management duties, so no training was received but I definitely gained tacit knowledge from performing my job and taking into account the feedback I received from supervisors.
The Company
Generally, it was a corporate environment. Also, as a consultant, you rarely work in the office as you generally work on client site.
We had an induction week at the beginning and some events organised throughout.
When there was a business need for it, training and development was provided.
Sports and Social Club
National Travel
Company Parties/Events
Above 25 days holiday
Working from home
I have received a full time offer as a result of my performance on placement.
The Culture
There were many placement students and interns and there was always something going on. I also got along with colleagues really well, the social events were great fun.
London is expensive. I would probably re-think my decision of living in the city.
The area I worked in was more business-oriented, more cafes than clubs. But the London Underground can take you anywhere, so it doesn't really matter that much.
There are a lot of societies-like clubs based on interests (film, dance etc.), language, nationality, sports, anything really.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
London
May 2015