What could you expect from an internship at Intel UK?

posted by Stephanie Lee on June 08, 2009

Welcome to this new blog! I’m really excited to writing a blog post for the Greater Europe region (GER). After 11 years spent at Intel, I wanted to share with you why I think our placement scheme is fantastic. Intel is truly a great place to work offering its employees many opportunities to grow as well as focusing on its people as key assets to the company. I am very passionate about hiring new talent in to the company and would like to especially talk to you about what you could expect from the UK intern program.

• REAL work experience: The Intel placement scheme is exceptional as we provide invaluable opportunities as part of a thriving global team in a fast paced and dynamic industry all over the world. Whichever job roles interns take on, they will be part of an integral team who make smart decisions that help Intel stay on top of this industry. My experience working with interns at Intel is that they are given interesting roles and assignments; you will not be serving coffee, believe me ! We feel honoured that Intel UK was accredited a National Quality Mark for the provision of a great placement scheme by the NCWE (National Council for Work Experience).

• Part of a team: Interns act as FULL partners in making and supporting business decisions, taking responsibility and driving projects. Interns are also encouraged to take on challenging work in an attempt to make a difference and are rewarded and recognized for this. After working with many interns over the years, I have found that Intel treats their interns as they would treat their other staff members.

• Work/Life Balance: Working at Intel is not all work. Intel has a thriving Intern community with intranet sites, Facebook groups, email distribution lists and many organized social events. For example, this year our interns went to Dublin to visit our manufacturing site and meet our Irish interns, had a skiing event, pub quizzes, games, etc. Of course this is not just a principle for interns, Intel recognizes that its employees have a life outside of work. Intel also provides study days and dissertation support for its interns.

• Learning/Development opportunities: The integration period is a chance to fully introduce student interns to Intel. I have witnessed many interns enhance their business acumen and employability skills, such as communication, teamwork, prioritizing and planning, organization, time keeping and project management, during their placement here.

• Student Support: Every intern at Intel is assigned a Buddy. It is an informal arrangement in which experienced employees (Buddies) with common interests are paired with interns for mutual benefit and assistance. A Buddy is there to listen, advise and encourage. When I first joined Intel, having a Buddy really helped my integration and eased my transition in this company. Interns can also choose to opt into the Mentoring Program here at Intel. This is a process whereby a mentor is responsible for overseeing the career and development of another person outside of the normal manager / subordinate relationship.

Intel values its interns as a principal source of future talent that will help the business to grow. An internship with Intel is an excellent opportunity to learn and network with experienced professionals in the workplace.

We have met our intern needs for 2009 but encourage you to fill out a candidate profile to be considered for intern opportunities in 2010. You can find out more about our internship programme at our Student Center. Or you can discover what it’s like to work here as an intern from interns themselves on our new Life at Intel site. I welcome any comments, feedback or queries you may have too!

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tagged: Stephanie, UK internship