Marketing Placement

I joined Johnson and Johnson in June 2016 on a yearlong placement within the marketing department. Though I would have been excited to work for any of the brands, I felt particularly lucky to take on part of the beauty portfolio with Neutrogena and Aveeno. As a girl who has a secret passion for the beauty industry anyway, I was enthusiastic to get myself thrown straight in.

You hear the horror stories of going on a placement or getting an internship within a large corporation and becoming lost in the cogs of it all, or becoming the girl who makes everybody cups of tea. However, I couldn’t believe how much responsibility and ownership I have been given on projects to lead that have had such huge impact on the business.

While my day to day responsibilities remain mostly consistent, the projects that I have been given ownership on have made such a significant difference to my placement. From leading a magazine partnership, to developing a gift pack to be on shelf within the next 6 months, the variation offered within my role has ensured that I am always engaged and passionate. Most importantly for me is the mutual understanding between my manager and myself that I am responsible for shaping my own path during placement. I had an interest in the public relations side of marketing and made this clear to my team who made sure to get me involved. Within six months, I was solely executing the first public relations event in 2017 for Aveeno alongside our PR agency.

There are lots of extra work activities to cater for everybody, from a charity club to an after-work rugby team, meaning there is always a group of people who are ready to welcome you. I was selected to join the marketing ‘ministry of fun’. We ensure that we offer a fun surprise or planned activity every month. From a treasure hunt on Paddy’s day and Easter Egg desk drops, it is the little things that keeps the moral within the office high. There are so many benefits of Johnson and Johnson that go unmentioned. My personal favourite is the subsidised massages offered to employees every month. To work in a huge company that understands it’s employees as real people makes having the right work life balance so achievable and makes coming to work that little bit more enjoyable.”