Intern Review

There were two weeks of training involving: teamworking skills, business skills, presentation skills, communication skills and workshops. Following the training weeks, there was a week of work experience placement. My placement (there were a few options) was a carousel of governmental functions ie HMRC and Highways England and Jobcentre Plus.

The skills development that I gained from the experience was increased communication skills, presentation skills and business acumen. The training I received was delivered to us through workshops such as dragons den style pitches and case studies analysis/presentations. These workshops helped to develop business and personal skills that will be useful for future employment options. The work experience week gave valuable insight into the world of work.

I thoroughly enjoyed the work experience. The lessons I learned from the experience are invaluable and will stand me in good stated for my future employability. The experience was quite well organised and worked very well. I felt very welcome at every stage of the experience which helped me take full advantage of the opportunity.

The experience was organised quite well. This made for an enjoyable and useful experience. Each day had a well-detailed plan and set of activities which helped provided clear and easy direction allowing for breaks, lunch and networking opportunities. Each week/section included information and skills development which meant we could get the most out of each part.

I learned quite a lot about the culture at each of the placements I went to. I was able to see the inner working of each department which gave an in-depth understanding of the culture, values and the atmosphere. It allowed me to see myself potentially in work environments such as those.

It allowed me to see many future options whilst also confirming my confidence in what I was considering doing for my future career. Seeing each of the options widened my knowledge of future career paths allowing me to make more informed decisions about what would be best for me in the future.

I was paid for the experience. There was also the option for all travel to be reimbursed so as to not disadvantage people for taking part in the experience. Any travel costs could be taken to the organisers for them to then cover the cost of any expenses incurred in order to attend the experience.

There were many opportunities for networking and meeting other employees. Throughout the experience, I made many contacts which could be very helpful in the future. In particular future employment opportunities that could possibly be made available due to the networking opportunities and contacts made. On top of the networking opportunities, we were also shown effective networking method and tools such as LinkedIn.

Yes

The experience was incredibly useful. Being given unique and valuable insight into the workplace as well as training and workshops to develop employability skills is an amazing opportunity which should definitely be taken if possible. Working in and around the business environment made for a one-of-a-kind experience that has made a difference.

There are a few tips and pieces of advice I would give to others applying to the experience. One of those tips is to prepare some answers for the phone interview which is part of the application process. Another piece of advice I would give is to take some time whilst filling out the online part of the application.