Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵ

I found it very challenging in many different aspects. The work I was doing was tough and somewhat lonely as I wasn't always a part of a team. Some of the work I did was very rewarding as I could see the results of my work and the impact I was having on the wider team.

I was working alone for the first 5 weeks so I didn't really have any colleagues. This was the most challenging part of my internship as I felt very lonely. As time progressed, I felt slightly more valued; however, I still felt as if I wasn't really a part of the team and that I was sometimes a bit of a burden.

My manager had the occasional one-on-one meeting with me which allowed him to give me guidance and let me know what he thought of the progress I was making. I had other colleagues training me to understand new systems and, in general, they were very supportive in helping me learn.

Some days I could be mainly busy; however, on the whole I did not feel as though I was that busy. If my manager wasn't around, I often didn't have anyone else to ask for advice on what I should be doing next. This left me waiting around a bit to be given a task.

I was given some responsibility as I had to manage a project that was solely dependant on me and my time management. I was also given responsibility to work well as part of a team and be an asset and not a burden. I do feel as though I could have taken on more responsibility,

The skills I have learned of managing a project alone and maintaining good time management and diligence in keeping on top of emails will definitely assist me in completion of my degree and beyond that. Skills of team work and confidence in trusting that I am doing the correct thing will also assist me beyond just my degree.

The atmosphere in the office was often quite quiet and tense when there was a lot of work to do and people were stressed. When there were down periods the office was much more relaxed which was far more enjoyable to be a part of. There were times when we could completely relax and chat about our personal lives which was nice.

I think the internship, as a whole, was set up very well. Lots of overviews were organised on behalf of the interns which allowed us to understand the different areas within the organisation. I though this was extremely well done. On the flip side, there were times when the programme and the managers were not on the same page and this left interns feeling somewhat confused and lost.

I feel as if I was invested in to a basic extent initially, I undertook all necessary training. As the programme developed and my role became more involved with BAU, I was invested in to be able to complete tasks on behalf of the team to free other members up to do more complex tasks. I do feel as though more time could have been spent training me.

Future employment prospects are appealing in some ways. The money is a big factor - the pay is extremely competitive. I would not like to return to this organisation in the role I am currently in; however, I would definitely consider a different role within the organisation that is much more suited to my skill set and something I enjoy doing, such as HR.

I did not get involved in much of a social scene with my fellow Î÷¹ÏÊÓƵs/colleagues. I am from the local area so I was living at home with my family and I have friends from here. This meant that I was not living in halls or near the centre of town which is where almost all of the social events took place. I am under the impression that there has been a good social scene for those who have chosen to get involved.

Again, as I am from the area, the cost of living and socialising seems very normal to me as I have grown up with it. I am not having to pay rent as I am living at home which has been great for me but means I do not know what the cost of living here would be if I was living in rented accommodation and having to pay for my own food/bills. Socialising is not too expensive if you go to the right places, it can be very expensive.

The nightlife in Bournemouth is good. There are lots of bars to go to and a number of decent clubs. I have enjoyed going out in Bournemouth. There are lots of nice restaurants to go to as well in different areas within Bournemouth which, as a local, I know about. Even if you weren't from Bournemouth, I think you would consider the nightlife in Bournemouth to be very good.

I didn't find that there were any opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work. I independently became a member of a local gym and would go to the gym some days after work but, besides that and seeing friends that I have in the local area from school, I did not get involved in any activities outside of work that were in anyway related to work.