
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement Î÷¹ÏÊÓÆµs/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
The internship offers a fantastic opportunity to gain an insight into the company and the industry. It served to complement my degree studies greatly and allowed me to apply some of my existing knowledge and expertise whilst learning a whole lot more. The highlight of my internship was the opportunity to build networks and meet professionals with enthusiasm for the work they do.
The atmosphere within the office is very friendly and everyone works to make you feel part of the team. I was offered regular feedback on the work i was doing and my colleagues ensured I could see how I was contributing to the business. BP also organises several central projects that engage all of the interns regardless of discipline and this serves to create a great community feel.
BP work hard from day one to ensure you are offered the support and guidance you need to be successful during your internship. Each intern is appointed a line manager who works to co-ordinate the internship and make sure you establish clearly defined objectives from the start. You will also be appointed a non-technical mentor who can offer support throughout the internship and a structured onboarding checklist will see that you settle into your role quickly.
My workload has varied throughout my internship as I have worked with the team to meet business needs. There have been instances where my assigned responsibilities mean I am busier than normal and others where I have found my workload more relaxed and I have had the chance to network and complete training courses. I have found this balance enjoyable and would confidently say that during an internship you will be kept busy and you will enjoy the challenge of managing your time!
Throughout my internship my responsibilities have involved fulfilling tasks that genuinely impact the business. After familiarising myself with procedures and practices I was given a level of responsibility in completing tasks that a full-time employee would have. In demonstrating your ability you can be sure your team will be trusting and offer you additional tasks that will serve to challenge you and make you feel part of the team. As a vast organisation there are limitations to the level of responsibility you can practically adopt over only a few months but your manager will make sure you have real responsibilities that benefit the company.
BP are fantastic at investing in the future and there are opportunities to develop both technically and professionally throughout the internship. In addition to a structured review programme to identify opportunities for development they offer full access to training courses that a full-time staff member has. This could be an office workshop improving your presenting skills or an online interactive module that improves your ability in specialist software. Whatever training you complete you can be certain the internship provides you with a fantastic opportunity to develop and gain skills essential to your degree studies and future career.
The Company
The atmosphere in the office is very friendly and welcoming. Everyone from other interns to senior management is happy to give up some of their time to help you and offer advice. Things are also generally quite relaxed so I found it easy to fit in.
The internships at BP are very well organised. There is a dedicated team that ensures everything from the application process to your last day runs like clockwork. Identifying objectives early on in your internship means it is a very focused and enjoyable 11 weeks. The company also arranges an induction day for all the interns to attend- this was great for meeting some of the other interns and being introduced to the office environment.
The training and development offered to interns is fantastic and is exactly as it would be for a full-time BP employee. Your development is very much self-managed with the help of your line manager at BP. Whilst there are some compulsory courses to ensure your competence in your field, the courses and tasks you take on can very much be tailored to suit individual needs. I participated in both office based and online training modules which provided great benefit.
Flexi Time
Subsidised Canteen
An internship is a gateway to a graduate position with BP. Throughout your internship you follow a structured review process and if this is successful it is likely you will be offered a future position. The size of the company means they are very flexible and there is the option to move between disciplines throughout your career.
The Culture
Whilst everyone is working hard there is also a brilliant social side to the internship. There is always something to do out of work whether it is sports, day trips or a night out- you can be sure you won’t be bored of a weekend. The graduate community at BP also work hard to involve the interns and were sure to invite us to many of their social events.
Being situated close to London the cost of living was quite expensive. BP do however offer you a small location allowance to accommodate this and whilst not a lot it does help out!
With so many interns there are plenty of activities to get involved in. In addition to the events organised by the interns the resourcing team arranged some central activities which were great to get involved in.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
South East
September 2014