Spring Programme Review

by Unilever

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.8/5
  • About You
    4.9
  • The Company
    4.8
  • Everything Else
    4.6

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • I felt I got a true insight of the business from networking with various levels of employees (from placement students to managers), learning more about the company's values and products to experiencing what R&D would be like if I was to work there. The major factor to why I enjoyed it was how friendly and passionate everyone I met there was. I developed my business acumen and gained skills/experiences that I will keep for life so it's been an amazing experience but also a very useful one. I would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone thinking of applying!

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • No matter how senior the employee was, each of them made time for us and treated us as if we were working there. They devoted time and effort to answer questions we had. As a result, I felt very comfortable when networking even though it was my first experience of doing so. They also seemed interested in our opinions on the products.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • When we were set with a product launch challenge we worked with placement students from our own function, so even though it was a daunting prospect we were put at ease since we were given help. We were supported when we needed it, however I feel they didn't give us too much help so we could push ourselves and to gain a true understanding of what it would be like to work at Unilever. The guidance we got for the selection day was invaluable and they explained the process thoroughly with plenty of advice so I felt a lot more comfortable about it all.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I have learnt many skills which I wouldn't otherwise pick up in my degree and experienced a business environment which will undoubtedly help me with any future applications but also for any projects done at university. It's improved my confidence in decision making, as well as learning to work in a group over difficult decisions. The selection day is also an incredibly useful experience no matter the outcome since we were given a lot of guidance and tips with them, so now I feel more confident with assessment centres/interviews having gone through one myself.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • The insight programme was packed with lots of activities which were all helpful and I really enjoyed them. The timings were smooth and we were never confused about the plan for the days, which meant we could focus on the activities. I particularly liked how the activities flowed well, like when the product launch challenge was done after we had spent a day learning about Unilever as a company so we could tackle it with a better understanding of the task.

    5/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • The atmosphere was lively and passionate. The activities done through the day were interesting and inspiring (including talks from senior managers) and in the evenings it was more relaxed. I was pleased with this since the days were tiring so an early finish meant we could recuperate and get to know the other candidates really well, as well as being able to share our experiences of the programme. The friendly atmosphere reflected Unilever well as a company, and meant we could relax and perform to our fullest potential which is particularly important during the selection day.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • They invested a lot of time and effort into giving us guidance to help us with the selection day, as well as setting up the product launch challenge so that we could experience first-hand what it'd be like to work for the company. They gave us a lot of opportunities to practice the skills we had learnt and within the small time period I feel that I have improved my skills greatly.

    5/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • It gave me a insight into what R&D would be like at Unilever, giving me a chance to practice teamwork skills as well as presenting the idea to the others. It helped me to understand the role of R&D better and also made me realise the wide scope of roles that they have on offer. I now know the expectations of a general role within the company where you are working on projects, however within the short time period it's difficult to gain an experience of the many roles Unilever has on offer in R&D.

    5/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • It is difficult to comprehend the company culture and values until you actually experience it yourself, because so much of it is based on the passion of the employees. So being able to visit the office in Leatherhead and meet the people who work there allowed me to truly understand how important Unilever's values are to everyone. Everyone I met was passionate and had a strong passion to create an innovative product that's sustainable and ultimately has the customer in mind at all times.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • Before going into it I was unsure of my future career path, however it's helped me to realise that this is a path I would love to pursue. It's opened my mind to moving into a more business based role rather than a science based role, and I was given plenty of opportunities to ask current employees about their experiences in R&D so I can gain more understanding into the function.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • I was not paid however all travel, accommodation and food costs were reimbursed. This is great for people who lived far away from the Leatherhead office. The accommodation was close to the office and comfy to live in, while the food was really good and filling. The travel expense form was easy to fill out.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • There were a lot of opportunities to network and we met with employees from level 1 (people on the industrial/summer/grad schemes) to more senior levels (managers) which meant we always got varied answers and experiences. They were all keen to share their experiences and it was interesting to see the different roles they all had. We also were able to talk to people from different functions which helped gain a better understanding of the company as a whole.

    5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • They were always in casual settings such as over lunch or dinner, so it felt more comfortable when meeting new people and asking them questions. There were a lot of networking sessions and they were all useful. The networking sessions is one of the strongest points about the programme.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • From the networking sessions it was easy to find out more about what the employees do outside of work too since the atmosphere is very casual. It felt more like talking to a friend than an employee. Unilever seem to have a good work-life balance and people seemed to enjoy their work a lot, but they also seemed to have time to enjoy life (eg. holidays) outside of work.

    4/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • I would recommend this programme strongly to anyone with an interest of applying. I loved every moment of it and came away with amazing experiences. I've gained so many skills in such a short space of time which I can use in my future applications but I've also gained a deeper understanding of the company and function. It was an enjoyable experience and great people.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

Business Management, Chemistry, Consumer Products/FMCG, Marketing

London

April 2016


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