Summer Scheme Student Review

To a large extent- very well structured placement and well thought out. Interesting work and people. However you are constantly aware of how competitive it is to get a job and more reserved individuals may be overlooked in a large, sociable company.

Colleagues made sure they thanked me for the work I did and I was assigned work that actually helped the team. I was given proper work from day 1 and completed tasks that they would have had to do anyway i.e. I reduced their workload (I hope!)

I had limited interaction with colleagues at Director level (just a case of schedules at the time) however everyone else made a concerted effort to teach me something new. You are assigned a Graduate Mentor on your first day which is a useful source of support and guidance, particularly in regard to questions you might be afraid to ask more senior employees. They have also gone through the application process fairly recently so their advice is very valuable.

I had an average level of work however 'busy' is rather subjective. I enjoy working hard so was happy to complete tasks then ask for more work. Savills isn't a 9 to 5 company (which I like) but some students might find longer hours tiring/a shock to the system.

One of my favourite aspects of the placement was that you are given a good level of responsibility straight away. Naturally, people will keep an eye on your work at first however as things progress you will find people come to trust in your ability and rely on you for certain areas of their work. Using your initiative in terms of what you can help with also goes a long way,

Another of my favourite things about the placement- you learn A LOT! 4 weeks is just enough time to understand what your team does and learn how to make a worthwhile contribution. Property is essentially a practical profession so exposure to 'theory in practice' is a great opportunity.

Highly sociable office and everyone seems to get along. This was just my experience based on 4 weeks however it's just long enough to get a taster of the company culture.

Excellent- Savills excel in terms of organising the summer scheme. Departmental Overviews, Tours and Social Events make for a diverse calendar. The structure has been brilliant in terms of opening my mind to all the different area of property and I have a lot to think about!

The placement was just 1 month so the firm's opportunity to invest in you is limited however the scheme itself is an investment. They have taken the time and resources to structure a programme that the company embraces on a wider level. Some internships feel like you've been 'tacked on' to the company. The Summer Scheme at Savills feels like it is part of the company and everyone (at all levels) seems to recognise its merits.

Certainly a great company to work for; my suggestion would be to consider whether you like large corporate companies or smaller firms, London based on regional and a reasonable idea of what you want to do. I believe Savills to be the best of the large services firms however some people might prefer smaller/medium sized firms of Surveyors (much the same as every industry). The number of rotations is a particular selling point as is the training for the APC.

There were various organised social events and everyone was friendly.

It's central London so hardly cheap however you just need to be sensible with your money.

Wouldn't know however plenty of bars/pubs around.

Plenty. Some teams are more sociable than others i.e. going out together after work etc.