Corporate Responsibility Review

Undertaking my work placement at Warner Bros. has been a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience. I loved working in the entertainment/media industry due to the fast paced and reactive nature, particularly around big film releases, making WB an exciting place to work. I would 100% recommend a year in industry to anyone due to the key business skills that you learn whilst on placement, which will benefit you when returning to final year of university and to securing future employment.

Working in a tight-knit team meant that I felt valued by my colleagues everyday. At Warner Bros., there are over 50 interns in the office and the majority of teams and departments have at least one, meaning that you're given real responsibility on the job. Despite the size and reputation of the company, the London office is relatively small and so even as an intern, you have an important part to play.

Plenty of guidance and support was given from my team and directly from my manager. Weekly catch-ups and team meetings, as well as performance reviews meant that I was constantly supported and given feedback on my performance, making Warner Bros., a nurturing and friendly working environment.

I would say that I had a perfect balance in terms of how busy I was. Around big events/feature film releases the work could be high pressured and working to hard deadlines under strict time constraints was required. At other slightly quieter times, I would have the opportunity to work on my long-term projects and monthly tasks, meaning that I was consistently busy on a daily basis.

Prior to starting my placement, I knew that the Warner Bros., placement scheme was renowned for providing it's interns with real responsibility. I would definitely agree with this, and as mentioned previously, as an intern you are truly valued and expected to carry out important jobs with professionalism and maturity. From liaising with other European territories as well as the U.S., to running screenings and private events without managerial supervision highlights the fact that as an intern, I was given a great deal of responsibility and trust.

The skills I have learnt on placement have been invaluable and will greatly benefit my final year of study as well as help with securing future employment. I have developed a diverse skillset of key transferable business skills, preparing me not only for a job in corporate responsibility/communications but across a range of industries and professions. Furthermore, I have learnt a great deal about the way a global corporation successfully functions, as well as how CSR is implemented in a business and specifically within the entertainment industry. I will definitely be going back to university next year with a more focused academic drive and a motivation to succeed.

The atmosphere in the office is great! Working in a busy central London office environment definitely suited me. The whole company is constantly given opportunities to engage with new WB content, through invitations to staff screenings, premiere competitions and special events, making the atmosphere exciting, particularly around a big feature film release. The intern programme, as mentioned earlier, has over 50 interns, and so there is a great atmosphere between interns, as well as on a company-wide level. Obviously at busier times, work can become stressful, but overall the environment was relaxed and a fun place to work.

The organisation was very efficient and the placement scheme well-structured.

The company definitely invest time and resources in their interns. The HR/learning and development teams were great in terms of organising training sessions, lunch and learns and reverse mentoring/senior leader breakfasts in order to engage and develop their interns. These sessions have definitely aided my personal development as a person and as an employee.

Unfortunately, Warner Bros. do not offer a graduate programme which is a shame as the placement has been great. However, after having worked for WB for a year, everyone has a chance of coming back to the company after completing university if a job comes up. My team was very small (7 including 2 interns) and so there isn't a high chance of coming back into the comms team at entry level; however possibly at some point in the future or in a different role within the business.

Yes definitely. As there are over 50 interns, there are always opportunities to socialise outside of work and so I'd say the social scene was excellent.

My family home is only about an hour away from the office and so I commuted for the duration of my placement, which suited me perfectly, meaning that I managed to save some money on rent. However, travelling into London everyday is still expensive and the pubs/bars etc. are not cheap!

Central London...

Yes plenty! There were opportunities to play sport, volunteer, attend industry events. etc., depending on your interests. I completed a Tough Mudder event with some colleagues from work, which was a great experience.