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In general I really enjoyed the internship. The company itself has really good values and most people I met as part of the internship were really lovely and helpful. There was training provided - some obligatory and some that we could opt into. I made the most of these opportunities. Working in a central London location was a really good experience too. The HR team involved with the internship were very supportive throughout the process.

I felt somewhat valued by my colleagues. At times I felt like some of the team I was placed in were unapproachable or that they looked very busy and involved with their work but found mentors in surrounding teams that were more than happy to spend time explaining / discussing with me.

I met with my line manager once a week for a catch up on the progress of my project. I found that there were times in which they could not or did not make time for me as they were too busy or on holiday so there was at times a lack of support and guidance.

On a daily basis there was variation in how busy I was. There were meetings and networking sessions set up as part of the internship programme at the same time as we were to be completing our projects. There were also weekly meetings for analysts arranged on about half the days during the week and these were the days that I found myself more busy.

The responsibility given to each intern depended on what team they were placed in and the project they were given. I wasn’t given a project that had a direct effect on the daily runnings of the team, but it was more a project to build up background information that would be part of a larger database and called upon when required.

I more felt that the skills I have developed at university assisted me in my internship rather than the other way around. However the experience working at BP gave me a complete insight into the world of business and how a large corporation works and I think this will assist me after my degree studies when applying for future work. I am also grateful for the excel training provided at BP and feel this is a skill that will assist me in the future.

The general atmosphere in the office was very positive. Although the floor was split into separate teams, there was clearly good communication and sharing of information between the teams. Most people seemed happy and motivated in their daily tasks. It was clear that everyone was working hard and towards common goals and there was a buzz about the floor that I was working on which I felt made a good working environment.

On the HR side, I feel the internship was very well organised. We were given a clear timetable of events and any changes of date or location were announced in advance clearly. They were very clear on what was expected and were an organised group. It was perhaps unclear what events were obligatory and this at times made it hard to work out whether to prioritise daily work or events that were part of the internship.

I felt there was a lot of effort and a number of opportunities in terms of the training offered and provided to us. The first week of the internship was mainly based on training – both online courses and presentations or hands on sessions. It was maybe too much to do all in the first week and may have been more effective spread out over the course of the internship, giving it more time to sink in. I feel the company did invest their time and resources.

I was not offered a graduate scheme place with the company. However I don’t feel that I have no chance with the company in the future in different areas to the one I had my internship in. I think that it was hard to find a passion for the industry through the project I was assigned but wouldn’t completely discount myself from working in this sector in the future.

The location of the internship was in London, and some of the other interns were renting close to work whereas others were commuting. There were a number of post work socials organised by us and one social organised by the team running but there would have been more if we were all away from home and living closer to each other during the internship. Most of the interns in my location met during lunch time. There was a group of interns at a different location who mainly all lived together and saw each other more socially.

I was lucky to live within a commuting range of the workplace so did not incur huge living costs. Some interns rented nearby accommodation which was expensive, and some rented further out which was cheaper accommodation wise but then they also had travel costs. The cost of socialising in the area I worked in was higher than I have experienced before but I was also earning more money than I had experienced before so this was fairly balanced.

Directly near the workplace there were many bars but not many (if any) clubs, so most of the evenings were spent in different areas of London.

Directly near the workplace there were many bars but not many (if any) clubs, so most of the evenings were spent in different areas of London.