Internship Review at Cancer Research UK

The Role

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I really liked it. I got a chance not only to be in the office dealing with all the admin side of the charity, but also got the chance to experience the events and see where all the hard work I put in went!

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I got along really well with the two people in my department. They made me feel really welcome, and whenever I had any questions I felt I could talk to them about it.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I had meeting with my mentor every other week, to have a catch up and discuss how me and my work was progressing. She also said if I needed to talk to her at anytime I could, whether it be in person, by phone or email. I felt I could talk to her whenever I was worried or had problems, as well as when I was excited about something.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

There we times when I was extremely busy, then at other times I felt I may not have had enough work to be getting on with. However, whenever I asked for more work I was always given something to do.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

At first I was given housekeeping/admin duties, which I felt did not give me too much experience which I had not already had. However, as the internship progressed I did more tasks which required me to have more experience. Overall I though I had some, but it might of helped if I started getting some sooner.

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

I recieved training on a computer programme I have never encountered before, so if I come across it again I feel like I will have an advantage I didn't have before. I also spent a lot of time on the phone, which whas considerably helped my telephone manner. I also had to oppotunity to interact with some high value people to the charity, so felt I developed my interpersonal and communication skills.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

It was very friendly, and everyone seemed to get on with everyone else. People seemed more like friends than collegues, which I enjoyed. It was also quite relaxed, so I could get on with my work, but didn't feel under pressure to sit in silence or not take deserved breaks.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Communication between the Volunteering/Internship team and the interns was great. Whenever there were any oppounties for us we would get an email telling us about it. There was a specific CV workshop day for interns, which was led by someone from Cancer Research UK, and it was very useful and a great advantage to the internship.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

I got shown how to use a new programme in depth, which I felt was useful and something I needed to learn how to use for my internship. When I had to do something I had never done before I was given support from my department and told what would be best for me to do in that certain situation.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

• There were no perks with this internship

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

We got a few internal emails about jobs with the organisation, but there has been nothing to date which interest me.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

There were several internship after work nights, which we good fun. There were also emails between the interns which helped with communication between us all.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

Wasn't too bad for London, however because the internship was in London and I live in Suffolk for the first few weeks I had to commute daily which was quite expense. However, now I rent a room in outer London which is better for commuting, but still costing me £325 a month to live.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

There are several nearby pubs, which seemed nice, with a range of different atmospheres.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

There was one or two intern emails about nights out, but there were not large plans, and what opportunities there were they were mainly about fundraising for the charity.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

When I applied for the internship I didn;t really care that it was for a charity. But over time it has really affected me, and made me think more about Cancer Research UK, and charities in general, and the amount of the work they put in to helping people. It made me feel good that I had a small part in this.

Review 96/134 for Cancer Research UK

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