Education Associate Training Operations Specialist Review

I enjoyed my six weeks at SAS. My managers were comfortable with letting me get on with my assignments as I saw fit, and were always available to help when required. I had plenty of opportunities to do more than I was signed up to do which I appreciated. Accommodation was provided as well as transport, which was fantastic and very convenient.

Everyone at SAS was friendly and willing to give time and interest to me. The culture was an inclusive one, and very comforting to be in.

My project was open to interpretation - I had to find insights into large datasets on a specific topic, and as we had been given a week and a half of training using powerful analytical software beforehand, I only needed contextual guidance and not much help with the project itself. I favoured the autonomous approach to work, but some might struggle - especially if you haven't had experience in working life beforehand. Learning to structure your day was important, and as I had practice in a work environment, it worked well for me. Managers were always ready to help, though!

I busied myself when work flow dropped slightly so I didn't feel that this was too much of an issue. However, other interns did seem to struggle with the varying pace. As with any work placement, you make of your time what you will, so this question should always be treated with a pinch of salt.

Certainly enough to keep me busy!

I received over two weeks of training in total - both individually from my department and with the other interns at the start of the placement. I learned some base SAS programming, which I would like to incorporate into my degree at some stage.

The internship scheme is a good feeder for the graduate role.