Background

I am currently a second year Business student at the University of Bath, and unlike the traditional year in industry, my course allows me to have two six-month internships, one of which I was lucky enough to undertake at StyleTech. 

Getting Started – why StyleTech? 

StyleTech stood out due to the vast number of projects they had completed, and the amount of experience they have acquired within the past 21 years. I was particularly keen to work within an SME, as I believed the tightknit community would help to expand my knowledge and skillset by learning firsthand from my colleagues. My knowledge of StyleTech and its distinctive ethos was expanded in the interview process, and it rapidly became evident that this was the company I wanted to join for my six-month internship.

I started as an HR intern in the summer of 2020, and as everyone was working from home due to Covid-19, I joined remotely. Despite not having the chance to meet my colleagues, the whole team were extremely welcoming, and I couldn’t have felt more part of the company. As my first experience in the business world, I greatly appreciated going into such a supportive and nurturing environment, one which gave me the confidence to use my initiative and not inhibited by the prospect of making mistakes.

Projects

During my time as an intern, I worked on a number of projects, including reviewing and consolidating the Employee Handbook, helping review policies for the implementation of the ISO accreditation, and assisting in recruitment. This was an eye-opening experience for someone who had recently gone through the recruitment process as a placement seeker, I learnt more about what employers look for in candidates, and was shown the importance of a cultural fit.

Part of my role involved organising the company social activities, a particular highlight for me, as it allowed me to meet and get to know my colleagues. Due to everyone working remotely, I had to get creative in the ways the socials were carried out. As a result, I planned and executed socials such as “StyleTech Family Fortunes” and a “StyleTech Guess Who”. These were great ways of getting to know the other employees and those who had been working at StyleTech since it was first established, were still able to learn something new. I appreciated the amount of responsibility I was given when planning these events and felt extremely rewarded when they were positively received. Furthermore, this allowed me to improve my organisational skills, a basic requirement in any field of business.  

Despite being an HR intern, StyleTech gave me the opportunity to work on other aspects of the business where I would work with different teams on projects. As these tasks were often technical, my ability, as well as my confidence in this area, increased significantly, and this is something I am extremely grateful for. Undertaking my placement at StyleTech was an invaluable experience and I couldn’t have asked for a better internship!

Advice For Students Looking At A Year In Industry Placements.

Don’t be afraid of applying for something which may be out of your comfort zone. As a person who had no experience working within the tech industry, I quickly found my feet and due to StyleTech having a supportive environment, I was able to ask as many questions as needed to ensure the successful completion of a task. I was thankful I was able to learn more about this industry whilst acquiring new skills in HR, something I hope to have a future career in. No matter your role, you will learn fundamental career skills and I couldn’t recommend StyleTech enough for undertaking your placement.