Assistant Cost Consultant Review

I really enjoyed my internship, it was insightful and very relevant to my course. I feel that I am going to go back to university with a lot more knowledge and understanding of the industry and theories and skills needed to be successful.

I did feel quite valued by my employees. I was given bigger responsibilities than I imagined and this made me feel important in the team. Also I was included in their social activities.

I was given a lot of support by my line manager and team who were always happy to help me. They ensured me that there was no such thing as a silly question and checked up on me to ensure I was getting on well.

It started off quite slow as I learnt the process and gained trust with the team however after the first couple weeks the work started building up and I had a lot of tasks to do daily. As well as this I attended lots of meetings so my times was well occupied most of the time.

The responsibilities I was given increased gradually over the 3 months however I believe I was given quite important responsibilities. There were a few members of staff who had holiday booked so I had to take on their jobs quite soon into the internship. It wasn't too much responsibility to handle and I could always ask for help from other team members.

As my internship was specifically for the degree I am studying for I feel that it is going to help me a great amount when I go back in September. Especially only going into my second year I will have a lot of knowledge to put me ahead of everyone else. It has even given me dissertation ideas already!

I was seconded to an office closer to the site I was working on however the atmosphere in here was really nice. Everyone was friendly and I felt welcomed straight away. However when I went back to the main Mace office for a day or two I didn't really know anyone so it was a little bit awkward at times.

In the beginning I felt that it wasn't very well organised as I had not much to do in the first week so I thought it could have been better planned. Then I found out that it was only because they were trying to sort out my security pass and computer system access at the office in Canary Wharf that I'd be working at so I didn't mind so much. There was an interim and a final review of the placement organised with my line manager so we could keep track of what I was doing and that I was working towards goals. Overall I think it was quite organised.

In m y first few days I gained access to some free online training modules which were quite interesting, I was invited to a few APC training sessions over the 3 month period where graduates and senior workers held revision style Q&A's. It was very helpful to know that if and when I join as a graduate they'll spend that much time and money on me becoming chartered.

The future employment prospects are very appealing as they offer you a chance to come back as a industrial placement student or (if you've just done an industrial year with them) you can go onto their graduate training program. It seems well structured and allows you to progress in your career quickly and the pay is good!

Yes Mace have two mediums where fellow students and colleagues can socialise and communicate with each other. As well as this you have an induction day to get to know the other placement students who were all really nice and you end up meeting up with them for drinks a few times over the months. Also the other team members/colleagues invite you out to their drinks too.

I live in London when I am not at university so it was quite cheap as I stayed with my parents. Going out can be expensive but I save money on commuting as I don't live too far and on food and rent as I stayed with parents.

There is a lot of nightlife in London which I am already familiar with so it wasn't a surprise for me. The best days are Thursdays-Saturdays.

Yes. The business and staff organise many charity and social events which everyone gets invited to.