From work experience to university: Monty’s journey at RIVIAM as a Business Intern

After nine fantastic months with the team, our brilliant Business Intern, Monty Evans, is getting ready for his next big adventure: university.

Monty has been an amazing addition to the team, bringing enthusiasm, fresh ideas and a great attitude to everything he’s worked on. While we’re sad to see him go, we’re incredibly excited to see what comes next. We know he’s going to excel at university and has a very bright future ahead of him.

Before he heads off, we caught up with Monty to hear about his time with us, what he’s learnt and what he’s looking forward to next.

What have you enjoyed most about being here?

During my time here, I have covered lots of different business functions, from organising an office move to ISO 9001 and 27001 preparation to systems testing. I have really enjoyed and valued the breadth of activities that I have been exposed to. It has really helped me meet lots of different people and engage in all the different aspects of the business, which has proven to be invaluable in shaping my knowledge and understanding.

How have we helped or supported you during your time with us?

Everyone at RIVIAM is very friendly and always goes out of their way to make time to help you out when you ask for it. Everyone is very approachable and eager to help, which has made me feel really welcomed and supported during my time here. It's a testament to the culture at the company that I felt so supported and was so seamlessly integrated.

What new skills or confidence have you gained?

I feel as if I have gained so much from my time here. I have developed softer skills, such as learning how to communicate in a professional setting, as well as building my resilience and confidence. I have also gained a much better understanding of business, particularly the management side of things. Overall, the experience has helped me develop both personally and professionally, and given me much more confidence going forward.

What piece of work are you most proud of?

My first big assignment was organising an office move. This came with the challenge of managing both internal and external factors, all within a tight deadline that was fast approaching due to unforeseen circumstances. I needed to liaise with the builders to arrange the plans, oversee the full renovation of the office and organise things such as the carpet fitting. Internally, I also had to make sure everyone was prepared for move-out day and knew exactly what was expected of them beforehand.

 

When I came back from my travels for my second spell at the company, I was really pleased to see the office fully up and running. It was great to see that the move had gone so successfully and that everyone was happy with the new office, which was a bigger and better space for the team.

How do you think the experience will help you at university and in the future?

Working at RIVIAM will help me enormously when it comes to my studies in the future. I will be studying Economics and Management, which is one of the main reasons why a placement as a business intern has been so valuable. It has given me real-world context that I can apply to the theory I will be learning at university, while also giving me the opportunity to attend management meetings and see how things work in practice.

 

On the Economics side, having such close access to the business has helped me develop my understanding of topics I have learnt about over the years and see how they can be viewed from both a macroeconomic and microeconomic perspective.

How would you describe working here to someone thinking of joining us?

I would absolutely recommend RIVIAM to anyone who is thinking of joining. What started as a week of work experience turned into a nine-month opportunity, split into two periods with some travelling in between. It has been an amazing experience, and I feel extremely fortunate to have had the chance to work here.

 

I was able to get involved in lots of different areas of the business and gain experience across a wide range of functions. Because RIVIAM is a smaller company, I was also able to get more hands-on experience and learn a lot from the people around me. I really hope I was as beneficial to RIVIAM as RIVIAM has been to me.

What will you miss most?

This is quite an easy answer: the people. The culture at the company is great, and it is a huge reason why everyone is doing so well. Everyone is kind, engaging and always makes time to help others, not to mention fun and interesting. A real credit to the culture that Paul and Christine have built.

We’re incredibly proud of everything Monty has achieved during his time with us, and we can’t wait to see where his next chapter takes him. And to answer your question Monty, you were absolutely as beneficial to RIVIAM as we were to you. You made a real impact during your time with us, and we’re incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm, hard work and fresh perspective you brought to the team.

Giving young people the opportunity to gain meaningful experience, build confidence and develop their skills is an important part of our social value at RIVIAM. We believe that when young people are given the chance to contribute, take on real responsibility and show what they can do, both they and the organisations around them benefit.

Monty is a brilliant example of that. He’s made a genuine impact during his nine months with us, while growing and developing along the way. We’re delighted to have played a small part in his journey and wish him every success at university and beyond.

You can read more about our social value here.