Internship Review at Cancer Research UK

The Role

Role Description

The creation of a short film about the work of the Newcastle Cancer Centre at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research, from research and scripting to production and editing. To work closely with researchers, medical professionals and charity supporters as well as members of staff internal to the charity
Also, to design the DVD case and cover, and to create several documents about the appropriate use of the film, as well as a project evaluation.
To also co-ordinate a launch event for the film.

To research more local engagement opportunities.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I loved it, absolutely loved it, but at times I could have had a little bit more to do, only really towards the end of the placement, though.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

My manager was great, as were many of the staff, but I felt that some people weren't really sure who I was/why I was there. I wasn't based in an office of Cancer Research UK, but a university one, so I think it was harder to get myself known, as people didn't have knowledge of the internship scheme.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

My manager was brilliant, we met up several times a week, and any problems I had, I knew they would be solved, and I didn't feel worried/embarassed to ask questions or ask for help

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

At the start of the internship I had loads to do, and continued to have loads to do, however, in the last couple of weeks of the internship, I could have done with slightly more to do, although I was able to go out and visit different parts of the charity, which gave me more to do.

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

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

I had a lot of freedom to carry out my project, and visits, etc. However, there was a lot of collaboration with my manager and other groups within the charity.
I never felt like my manager was worried that I was just an intern, and asking people to go easy on me, or that I was being given unimportant tasks.

I think the balance was really good, I created the basics and organised the project, and the fine tuning of it was done by people more senior than me.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I learned loads about time management, team management, how to present myself and generally got a real feel for working life.

Also the CV and intern training days, were really useful, and gave me loads to think about.

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

People were welcoming, and as there I was based in an office at the university, where there were lots of students people were similar in age to me, which meant we could have a laugh. But an office is an office, and so it was quite quiet and many people spent their time in the labs.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

The project was great, as were the opportunities that I got, however, I feel the scheme is set up for people in London, not in regional offices. I wasn't in an office specifically for charity and therefore didn't have a Cancer Research UK computer, which caused problems when I wanted to use the charities colours or fonts in poster and presentations, and when I wanted to use the intranet or email. Also, a lot of the other opportunities available were in London, and virtually impossible for me to get to. Lastly, when I needed to have meetings with fellow interns, the fact that I didn't have an extension number to call, and that I couldn't simply pop down to the central office was a bit frustrating.
All in all, the scheme and project were set up great, but the technology caused real problems.

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

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

We recieved training about the organisation and its set up and purpose, and also really useful interview and CV training, but nothing other than what you'd expect.
I feel that in my reviews with my manager I got a lot of advice and general tips from her, but I don't feel as an organisation they invested a lot, although the training they gave was useful.

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 7/10

It gave me access to internal jobs during my placement, as well as to volunteering opportunities for the rest of my time at university. I think that knowing the charity will be useful for grad scheme applications and such. I think there may have been more opportunities had I already graduated.

Other Information

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

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

Rated 5/10

There seemed to be, but again, being out of London meant that I was not involved in that, as I was the only person from the scheme in my area. When I went down to London for events it was great, but I didn't go there all that often.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Love it! Newcastle was ace, and had loads of offers and things on. My rent was also really cheap, but I was staying with friends.

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

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Again, it's a student city and there are loads of bars, clubs, cinemas, theatres, restaurants. It depends what you want from a night out, but I loved the city.

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

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

There's loads of stuff going on in the area, and because I was based at the university, I got information from the uni about things that were happening. From the organisation I didn't recieve much info about things like this, but from the uni I did, and like in any big city, if you look for things to get involved with, you'll find them.

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?

I thought my placement was great, I got loads out of it, and I thought the charity was ace. My manager was brilliant, and I think that you get out as much as you put in. If you want an insight into a big charity then this is the internship for you, but be warned that it's probably not going to be what you expect, although I don't mean that in a bad way!

Review 113/113 for Cancer Research UK

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