Interns Success Stories

My placement was very hands on, working within the Innovation team meant the majority of my time was spent outside the office coming up with new ideas and experimenting with them. This involved site visits, taking a leadership role for current projects, data analysis and conducting trials for upcoming technologies. I also wanted to gain hands on experience in my field of study and to help put theory learnt while at university into practice. 

I am extremely happy I carried out an industrial placement; you learn so much which cannot be taught in a classroom.

SES kept in close contact from before interviews all the way to the end of my placement. This helped me feel at ease with the whole process as I was informed at every step. They made the whole process very easy and quick. They were always helpful if I ever had any queries and kept me up to date with any changes that were happening.

My advice to Students and Graduates would be; You have nothing to lose so just go for it. Not only will you gain knowledge and experience in your field of study but you will also learn so many valuable skills which you will carry forward in life.

I chose to do a placement as part of my degree to gain valuable and concrete work experience - not only to give me an insight into legal practice but also to improve my chances of employment after graduation.

My placement was very busy but also very interesting! Working for the biggest & most prominent local authorities in England allowed me to experience unique opportunities & gain a better understanding for our national legal system. Especially in litigation, it was really like being on the front lines for local authority work.

I had a good relationship with SES, prior to starting and during my placement. SES were easy to contact & very helpful when I needed something like amending the start date on my contract.

I am glad I chose to do a placement, as the lessons I have learnt during my time here & the insight gained into real working like will definitely put me in a better position when I graduate.

I would definitely encourage students to do a work placement and to give it a go! You won't appreciate the worth whilst you have done it. It will give you quality experience & insight when you graduate. It is also a good break from your academic studies - although you will still be learning & working on your report throughout the placement.

My placement was great; I worked in Research and Development of new CAD methods and created a library of parametric models for their Virtual Engine Design System. I was able to see all of the products and components both physically and on screen as I developed the geometry tools.

I am incredibly happy to have taken on this role through SES as I will now move on to be permanently employed by Rolls-Royce after 2 successful years working through SES.

I found SES to be extremely efficient and friendly when dealing with my queries and contracts. Payslips were always sent on time and I experienced a high level of customer service from all employees that dealt with my pay/holidays, these included Caroline Mason, Ellie Steggles and Kay Pearson who were all very helpful.

I would 100% push students and graduates to do a placement/internship. it was my internship which led to me gaining 2 yearlong contract with Rolls-Royce which has ultimately led to a permanent position in the company. Without my initial internship back in 2013 I would not have made the contacts within the company to help secure my contracts and full-time position after graduation.

Even in situations where students do not return to the same company, I have found that all my fellow graduates have been employed soon after graduation when they had been on a placement year. Those who did not do a placement year have had a harder time finding relative work, with no experience on their CV to make them stand out from the great number of graduates looking for work.

As a graduate, I was seeking a placement in order to expand my knowledge of the practice of Law. Having already worked at two law firms, I was seeking in-house legal opportunities.

My placement was incredibly interesting as I gained an understanding of the legal function of a large London local authority.

I am very glad I did this placement and thoroughly enjoyed my time. The team I worked in were very friendly and welcoming. I feel that my confidence has improved and that this placement has equipped me with the skills I need for further graduate employment.

I had a good relationship with the SES team, especially Mubeen who was very helpful, informative and supportive throughout the interview and placement process – thanks for all your help Mubeen!

I would most definitely recommend SES to anyone who was seeking a graduate internship or placement.

I wanted a placement during my studies to apply my knowledge gained through my degree into ‘real life’ organisational situations to prepare me for my career after graduating. I also wanted  a deeper understanding of my chosen career path before finalising my degree.

As part of the International Media and PR team, my placement was filled with responsibility and opportunities throughout. It was a great experience which exposed me to not only the team I worked in, but the entire organisation. This exposure helped me to gain a 1:1 in my written placement project from Aston University and I will be using my experience to support my future projects in my final year.

I worked with an incredible organisation and as part of an unforgettable team. I gained invaluable experience which has aided my professional growth much more than I had anticipated from my placement year. I was able to travel to many parts of the country with VisitBritain, I attended many professional networking events and was also able to visit Paris with the company to gain some international experience.

My relationship with SES was great. I worked with Mubeen and Caroline who have been extremely helpful throughout my placement year, from my application until my last day. I have really appreciated their support and advice – they’re great! I would highly recommend SES. The time I had at my placement wouldn’t have been possible without the support of SES. I would recommend SES for their helpfulness and kind support.

The experience I have gained from my placement has prepared me immensely not only for my final year at Aston University, but has given me a great advantage for applying for graduate roles. I have a wider skillset and have gained much more confidence professionally from my placement.

I wanted to get some real world experience in the engineering industry. I feel when you go to an interview and you have something different to talk about, you stand out more and it makes you a more interesting applicant.

My Placement was fantastic! It really was a learning curve. I have learnt so much about manufacturing, I wouldn't change a thing about my placement. I think my placement was very successful and I would do it all again given the chance. I have learnt some valuable life skills that I will remember and make use of for the rest of my life.

I had an excellent relationship with SES. I had Caroline Mason as my point of contact and she was fantastic. She replied swiftly and with very concise answers. A big thank you to her and she is a credit to your company. I would 100% recommend SES and I think the idea of a company that helps students find jobs and then give them advice and guidance is brilliant.

I would advise students to do a placement 100%! It really is a brilliant opportunity to go out and make contacts and have a fantastic time. Like I have said previously, I have learnt so much from this year and I cannot express enough how much I have taken away from this placement.

I had wanted to gain a bit of experience before I graduated in the work place as this would differentiate myself from all the other graduates when I was applying for jobs. One of my friends from secondary school was on the scheme the previous year and really enjoyed it.

Over my placement, I have been given 5 projects to complete, 3 of which were technical. All the technical projects have a massive impact on the business as the parts involved were vital to the operations of Aero engines. Therefore, I have seen how much my work means to the business and the impact that it will have in the future. Being given this responsibility was a bit nerve racking at times but the reward at the end is worth it. The 2 non-technical projects that I have been involved with were around organising events for the senior members within the company including the CEO and the board. This has given me a broad exposure to the company and those in it.

The placement didn't involve as much technical knowledge as I was expecting to use. This is mainly because it focused on the practicalities of using the software and engineering unlike my university course which was nearly pure theory. The placement has made me aware of how much importance industry places on cost and time constraints as opposed to academia which is focused on getting the right answer or exploring interesting options.

I am very happy that I have done my placement as it has shown me the kind of work that I want to be involved in for my career. I have subsequently changed the modules that I am taking in my studies at university. I have also built up my confidence in presenting material and I have learnt a lot about how to organise my work as well. The work is highly interesting and the team I am in are good fun to be around. It makes the day go so much quicker.

SES matched my profile up to various jobs on offer and asked me if I liked the look of any of them. Lots of these were very interesting and I wouldn't have found them very easily on my own. After having gone through the application process for companies directly, the process that SES use is much smoother running as less complicated which made the whole procedure easier for me to go through.

I would have recommended trying them to a number of people in university and they have managed to get placements this year as well. I had tried to find a placement by myself though applying directly to companies but I didn't get any interviews. Through SES, I had 3 and got an offer from one.

The placement is effectively a 12 month long interview for both you and the employer. The more effort you put into the work, the more likely you are to enjoy it and be appreciated for it. You could be offered a place at the end in the company and if you put the work in this, it is more likely to occur. Even if you don't get offered a place after the placement, you have built up the contacts within the business so that you are known and if you decide to come back you are known positively in the company.

It is just as important to know what you like doing as it is to know what you don't. The placement can show you that, actually, you don't want to work in that area. It is also really helpful to explore the company and the projects they are involved with. Visit other teams and sites as much as possible if you can.

Having finished my GCSE's and A-Levels a year early. I wanted to gain some work experience before university. I knew that a year of work experience in the Civil Service would help me improve key skills and open more opportunities for when I apply for jobs in the future.

My placement has been incredibly enjoyable, if a little hectic at times. I have really enjoyed working with amazing people and seeing how detailed working in government is. I have had countless opportunities to get involved in really high profile events and projects. Although slightly daunting at first, it has been an eye-opening experience.

I am incredibly glad that I have completed this placement. My placement has been an amazing opportunity to explore all the different aspects of working in government. I have been able to get involved in many high level projects and this has been given me more confidence for when I start university.

I had a good relationship with SES also. They were excellent in responding to queries and kept up-to-date with annual leave and pay cheques. They have been incredibly supportive and helpful with placement. The Intern of the Year competition is also definitely worth entering!

My advice to students would be to take advantage of every opportunity hat comes your way. You will get to work with so many different people and it is important to get as much variety out of your placement as possible. It's also surprising how far the little things, like offering to make a cup of tea, go.

I wanted to improve my chances of employment after I graduate and learn how skills I've developed in university can translate to a working environment. I also wanted to find out what kind of job I would want to go into after university, and what working in an office is like.

I really enjoyed my placement as I got the chance to try a variety of jobs and have a lot of different responsibilities. Although I had my daily jobs of answering enquiries and complaints; writing and uploading content onto our intranet and maintaining contacts on our database I also handled my team’s finances, assisted at events and built our newsletter on multiple occasions. My team were very supportive and allowed me to put myself forward for training courses and to lead on projects, such as a new microsite. I quickly felt like part of the team rather than just an intern.

I'm very happy I did the placement, as I didn't get my placement until very late in the academic year (late June, early July) I had considered not doing one at all but I'm pleased I stuck at it. Not only have I been able to gain and develop skills and learn new things, which will be vital for my final year of university and after I’ve graduated, I've also had the opportunity to experience life in an office environment as well as a daily commute into London.

From the beginning I had a great relationship with SES, they kept in close contact throughout the application process which was refreshing and encouraging compared to other application processes I had been through. They would email before and after my interviews to see how I was feeling about them and how they went. SES were always very quick to respond to me if I had any questions throughout my placement, which always made things easier for both me and my manager.

I would definitely recommend, and have recommended, SES to students to use themselves and to lecturers so they can spread the word for students looking for work. They have such a range of jobs advertised and make the entire process of applying much easier to deal with and offer advice without being prompted.

I would definitely recommend doing a placement as you gain invaluable experience and insight into a work environment which university can't fully prepare you for (although they do try their best). If you're still one of the last people to get a placement, don't worry! Just keep trying and it will pay off.

I believed doing a placement year would give me the opportunity to gain skills specific to my interests within industry and experience what real-life work was like. Furthermore, the reasons for wanting a placement were essentially because it would have given me a full year of practical experience in the industry enabling me to apply what I have learnt in University but also effectively improving my job opportunities once completed the placement. Skills such as experiencing teamwork and developing interpersonal skills amongst others were elements I would have only been able to experience if I did do a placement.

My placement year could have not gone better as I have learnt and experienced a vast amount of things ranging from working autonomously, taking responsibility and opportunities, building reports, analyzing data, being adept in e-commerce platform, attending big scale events and learning what a fast-paced environment the working environment can be amongst other things.

When I first started my placement I had a manager who had been in the company for over 15 years so for the first 6 months my internship was managed and set in a very ordered and dynamic way where I was able learn a lot from my manager given her experience in the business and industry. There was then a big transitional change within the industry and given my manager had left and I was originally reporting to someone further up the hierarchy, I had to take much more responsibility and learn to work autonomously which enriched my internship in a whole different way. Finally, when a new manager was assigned to me, given her experience in the travel trade industry and her way of management my internship developed even further as I was able to learn new aspects of the business, learned to work in different ways and I have been learning and enjoying till today.

From the first day up till today, my relationship with SES has been great. SES gave me direction and advice since the beginning and have been there whenever I have needed them or had a query. I have to thank gratefully Mubeen and Caroline for this. I would definitely recommend SES to others as the recruitment process when applying for a role is very clear and concise, a member of staff is always there when you need them and they are very helpful when it comes to queries or doubts to do with any matter!

Given the skills I have gained and developed and given I have experienced what the work-life is like, I have now got a better idea of what I want to do when I finish my studies and I am pleased I did a placement as this work experience has been really beneficial to me from both a professional and personal perspective. I believe this work placement will enrich my CV and has enriched my skillset and knowledge when it comes to e-commerce, networking, tourism, commercial and retail. Furthermore, I have met and networked with a lot of people and I am pleased I was able to work with such dynamic and knowledgeable team.

I would advise students to try and enjoy as much as possible their placement year and to take on board any opportunities available to them. I would specially recommend them to ask questions whenever they have got one and to network as much as possible as you never know if you desire to work in the same company or the same people again!

I originally picked English and Creative Writing because I was uncertain as to what I wanted to be in the future. As soon as I realized I enjoyed marketing, ecommerce and retail, I started finding work experience and this led to me wanting a placement.

My placement was an incredible experience. I can’t praise the people I worked with enough, for everything they did for me. I learned more things in a single year than I have in all the years I’ve studied combined, and I got to experience how things work in a great company.

The last time my teacher visited the company I worked for, my manager and I joked with her how bad I felt about going back to uni after my placement. This couldn’t be more true. Whilst I love university, doing this placement has been the best decision I’ve made so far in my life, as it has allowed me to feel comfortable about getting a job after I graduate, knowing I have more experience than others. If I had to do it all again, I would without hesitation.

My relationship with SES was great, especially as I felt like I had constant support when I needed it. My main contact was Mubeen, who was always ready to help and swift to respond to any queries I might have. I would definitely recommend SES. I remember when I applied for the job, the comments Mubeen gave me helped me feel more comfortable with the interviews. I also felt like I could rely on him during every stage of the application process.

My advice for students who are thinking of doing a placement would be to become good friends with your colleagues. Honestly, work hard, of course. But working harder comes naturally when you get along with your colleagues and you’re in a great office with a great atmosphere. I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who are far more intelligent and experienced than I am at this point in my life, and I did my best to become friends with those people and ask them as many questions as I could. As a student, working 9 – 5 is not nice, but you will adapt to it and the sooner you become friends with the people around you, the sooner you will enjoy it.

I was working in the Design Systems organisation in the team of Materials & Process Modelling Engineer. The teams work fields are developing, validating, and deploying manufacturing process modelling methods to enable manufacturing process optimisation & scrap reduction. My placement was very nice. I really liked my work. Also my colleagues were very supportive.

During my time here took part in activities to develop a model flow of the transport gas for a coating process and compare the flow features to the influence on the part coating thickness distribution. I had the opportunity to visit the supplier and to present to senior coatings technologists, expanding my network.

My relationship with SES proved to be very helpful. All the people were always very helpful, understanding and giving good advice. And I would like to thank them for all their support.

My advice to students & graduates is to grab the opportunity and go for it.  This is a great experience that nobody can ever take away from you. For me, living in a new area, meeting new people and getting to know different cultures were huge highlights of the experience. I worked as part of a team that was welcoming and fully inclusive. The experience allowed me to figure out more about; where and what I want to do after finishing my university degree. One piece of advice would be, get involved with stuff outside your internship, e.g. RR heritage trust, African & Caribbean Professional Network (ACPN).  These activities help to broaden your view and get to learn lots of interesting topics inside business, engineering, personal finance etc.  To conclude an internship is a great new experience and Rolls Royce is a great place for an internship.

I will graduate more or less next year, so I wanted to get some working experience which could be not found in the university. The internship was the best solution for me because it could show me what the working environment would look like, what companies expect from you and what you should prepare in order to meet their expectation.

TI Cork is the best working environment where I have ever been. All engineers are very professional, competitive but also friendly.

They helped me to settle in, instructed me on how to use new devices, and also challenged me to the new design of their product. I was very happy to spend 3 and a half months at TI Cork. I gained too many things after the internship including the practical skills, professional working attitude and career-network connection.

I would say to fellow students and graduates who are seeking an internship is to please work as hard as you can and respect the company policies and procedures. Because the internship time is short, therefore you should grab your chance to enlarge your knowledge and experience. In addition to working attitude, you should make friends with all people in the working place even if they do not belong to your group. The large connection would eventually bring more benefit to your career path.

I wanted to gain experience in the fields related/relevant to my future degree in my gap year. I learnt a lot during my internship as a Finance Accounts Intern, not just about the specific of the job, but general things that will be useful to me for future employment. I met a whole load of very friendly & interesting people 🙂

I received all the help I needed from SES, everyone responded really quickly to my questions and were friendly. I would recommend SES most definitely!

My advice to students and graduates looking for internship would be that any work experience is valid, even if it just teaches you which direction you don't want to choose. It is also an excellent opportunity to meet new people and getting to know different things/work environments.

I wanted to complete a placement to gain industrial experience in Software Engineering for the future to put me in a good position to get a job after I have finished my degree at University. I also thought that it would be beneficial for improving my specific computing skills so that I would be more prepared for the final year of my course.

I feel that my placement at ABB has been enjoyable and an interesting experience in working in a full-time office job. I have learnt a lot of different things from it and it has helped me see what kind of job and what kind of environment I would like to work in the future. I am extremely happy that I did my placement as I feel that it has matured me and has set me up for a future job when I finish University. It has enhanced the skills that I already had and given me new skills and information that I otherwise wouldn’t have acquired.

I had a good relationship with SES as they always provided me with documentation without me asking for it and when I did ask for anything or had any queries, they would reply to me very quickly. I would definitely recommend SES to others as they are simple to use and are very helpful with anything that you need or are unsure about.

I would advise anyone who is thinking of doing a placement to definitely do one, especially if it is a job that interests them or is one that they are thinking of doing in the future. It will give them work experience that they probably wouldn’t normally have and it would also give them a chance to see if that is the kind of job they want to do and if not, maybe help them decide what they would like to do.

My experience was initially a summer internship as I thought was the best way to spend the Summer Academic Break. I worked as an assistant in the International Derivatives Sales team. My role was to support senior sales manager in different task such as: research activities, marketing material and presentations, pricing indication using excel and specific software. Having the opportunity to challenge myself in a tuff- fast-moving working environment and the chance to work on real business case proved to be the perfect way to test my abilities and my previous academic studies.

In addition finding other junior colleagues willing to share their experience has been a precious help particularly during the first month.

My contact with SES was good. Every communication has always been smooth and clear. People I’ve been in contact with have always been extremely helpful. I would recommend SES to others absolutely, as they proved to be one step ahead, particularly regarding the application and employment procedures.

I think it’s always important before starting a placement to check the position you are going to cover so that it’s possible to add an extra preparation in order to be more self-aware of the task you are going to handle. I would also recommend checking with your University whether they will recognize your experience and under which condition before you starting a placement.

My university degree is a 4 year sandwich course which involves a working placement during the third year of study. If this wasn’t the case I believe I would have still taken the time out to complete a placement. As I see it being vital experience required to help you gain a greater understanding of your chosen studies as well as being able to put into practice the things that you have learnt whilst at university. It is also very appealing to prospective employers to see that a potential employee coming straight out of university already has experience in the field of work.

I carried out my placement at Rolls-Royce Plc in Derby for a total duration of 15months. Here I spent 12months within the Product Cost Design department carrying out CAD design work for future concept components as well as facilitating workshops producing real time CAD models. I then gained a 3 month extension on my contract within a different department of Design Systems Engineering, where I developed potential methods of producing scalable engine models using the CAD packages on offer within the company. Even though the work I carried out was aerospace engineering and not specific to my automotive course. There were many similarities and the design work I was involved with was very exciting which helped it to really appeal to me as a designer. The placement as a whole was a great experience where I gained many new skills as well as improving current skills. I also learnt how a large company such as Rolls- Royce operates and a much greater understanding of engineering design in general.

All communication between myself and SES was second to none, with very fast and helpful replies to any of my problems/ queries. There were also no problems what so ever when it came to payment and any admin requirements. I would definitely recommend SES to others. The time I spent as an employee under SES was made very easy and hassle free, which is exactly what you want during your placement. I was very happy I did my placement, I have no doubt that the experience I have gained will help me better myself in my studies as well as many other aspects of working life. The income I have received has been a great taster and inspiration to continue pushing myself further in my chosen career. I have also been offered a job within the company once I have finished my final year of studies at university. This obviously would not have been possible without the placement, so for that alone the time has definitely been worth it.

The advice I could give to students and graduates is to give everything you can possibly can to the company, as well as taking away everything you possibly can to help better yourself.

I completed an internship at Commerzbank in London for three months. I was working in the International Corporate Banking Department. My main responsibilities included doing research on potential and existing customers, analysing issues concerning payments and many other tasks. I have gained important knowledge of the financial sector including an insight into various departments of one of the biggest European banks.

I was very happy that I did the placement because I learnt a lot of things about the financial sector, which was exactly what I wanted to reach. In addition I was able to further improve my language and intercultural skills.

The relationship with SES was very good. Any requests were answered very quickly and overall I felt that the way of working was very straight forward. Especially my direct contact was a big help during my placement since she made my life a lot easier not only before my start but also during my first days at work. I would definitely recommend SES since everything worked well and without having any issues.

I wanted to gain real life experience to put me in better stance when I have to find a graduate placement, the chance also to be able to take a year away from study and be able to earn a wage enabling me to save some money for my return back to Uni.

My placement was with Yorkshire Bank based in the Leeds Head Office, my job title for placement year was Product Analyst on the personal lending team, specifically working on the credit card product, introducing new cards to market, product development, competitor analysis along with many other tasks. When I arrived I found out I would also be working with the personal loan team giving me a bit more of a diverse year. Over the year I have learnt many things and my confidence has grown significantly. The one skill that I have evolved the most in is the use of excel.

Prior to starting at the bank I had very basic knowledge of excel and how to use it however I will now be able to utilize these skills in my final year and also graduate job as I would say that I now have a depth of knowledge on the subject. My placement length was 51 weeks, in this time I got to know a lot of different people from different sectors improving my general banking knowledge and also spending time in marketing has extended my knowledge of this industry which I can also use in completing my degree. In terms of what I have thought of placement I have learnt a lot and it will put me in good stead for gaining a graduate job having a year’s worth of experience in a real workplace.

SES were very helpful the entire duration of placement, if I ever needed a question answering they would get back to me within a couple of hours, Thank you! They also made it very clear that if I had any issues that I could contact them. I had problems at the beginning with start date at the bank however they did everything possible to try get this sorted out as soon as possible.

My advice to students/graduates doing an internship is to make sure you apply for placements that you know you will have an interest in as at some points of the year I have had very little interest and you begin to loose patience with the job, as it was advertised as marketing related but actually it was more finance, be sure you know what you will actually be doing before taking anything on. Try and get as many contacts as possible so you have a touch point when you finish Uni as these are invaluable from respected bosses and exec’s. Finally talk to everyone and try make friends it makes it a much more enjoyable experience and also lots of social outings!

Excellent work experience in the world financial capital – London. A great opportunity to get fix the knowledge obtained during the Bachelors and prepare a practical foundations prior to the Masters.

My placement took place at Commerzbank AG London in Emerging Markets research. The placement lasted for 10 months from April 2012 till February 2013. The key focus was on macroeconomic analysis of the CIS and CEE countries (in other words Eastern Europe) in order to develop trading ideas and thereby support sales and trading desks. The research was focused around factors affecting currencies, sovereign as well as corporate bonds.

The placement provided me to get a deeper insight into how fixed income as well as currencies behave in the emerging markets and better understand the link between the macroeconomic theory, politics and risk – reward that is driving the financial markets.

The placement exceeded my expectations in terms of the steepness of the learning curve, amounts of responsibility as well as flexibility provided by the management. No other day is really the same and there were lot of interesting projects. The team was very supportive at all times.

SES was always there to support and did so in excellent manner. Very quick and transparent paperwork and clear guidelines. Superb handling of all the financial issues. Generally, I was very satisfied.

My advice to students/graduates looking for an internship is to try to get as much as experience as you can, taking on challenging tasks and not being afraid of responsibilities. A placement is the time to learn and learning involves failing, trying again and failing, but failing much better. You will not have some much chances to be opportunistic when the real careers begins. Therefore try to take the maximum.