Compliance Intern Review

by pladis Global

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

Rating

4.2/5
  • The Role
    4.1
  • The Company
    4.3
  • The Culture
    4.1

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • As it was a new role, it took me a few months to settle in and feel fully comfortable. Once settled, I really enjoyed my role and looked forward to coming into work. I have made a huge network of contacts all across the world and some great friends. The placement was very flexible meaning I could take responsibility for my own breaks, work and I had the opportunity to do a lot of travelling. I have spent at least 2 days at every United Biscuits Manufacturing site in the UK. I also got to join in with the fun at Christmas and with the launch of 'pladis' which is a new entity, joining the United Biscuits company's with Godiva, DeMets and many others.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • In all jobs I've had, I've never felt as valued by my colleagues as I did in this role. If I ever had any issues or just wanted to contribute, my team were incredibly respectful and interested in what I had to say. Before I started, I thought as I was "just an intern" that my contributions wouldn't have been taken seriously, but this placement has made me realise that it's not about the time you've been somewhere. It's about skills, knowledge and what you can bring to the Company that matters.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • As the role was Centrally based, my colleagues were often in different countries or parts of the UK to me which made support and guidance difficult. However, if I ever requested help, my team always did whatever they could to offer me the support and guidance I needed. One of my managers arranged a weekly meeting with me to make sure I had that time to discuss with her anything that I needed to.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • In the first few months I wasn't busy at all. I had tasks that would take hours and have to make them last weeks. Once I'd gotten stuck into a few tasks, I was a lot busier and towards the end of my placement I had lots to do to finish all of my tasks and to be in a position to hand my work over to the next Compliance intern. However, as this is a new role, this will be greatly improved for future interns.

    3/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was given a lot of responsibility in my role. I was responsible for visiting all of the sites in the UK on my own to teach the Health and Safety advisers at site to use a new system we had introduced. I also came up with the idea for an e-learning platform to help with one of the computer systems, which I had to organise myself to make it happen. I loved the amount of responsibility I had, it made me feel valued in the business and has given me a lot of confidence in myself and my abilities.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I have learnt about how to manage my time effectively which will benefit me in Uni to meet deadlines. I have also learnt how to work well within a team and also how to work well alone which will benefit me in any team-based assignments. I have learnt to put myself forward for things that I wouldn't normally want to do and to step out of my comfort zone to allow me to develop. This will open up a lot of opportunities for me when I go back to Uni and also in any future career.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The Manchester office was great. The Compliance Team that I sat with were great fun and incredibly helpful. Other functions in the office are all very welcoming too and I felt comfortable speaking with anyone in the Office whether I knew them or not. The offices at other UB sites were just as welcoming too. Although it was a fun office to work in, it was also easy to put my headphones in and get on with my work. It was also quiet enough to be able to concentrate and get my work done without headphones.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • It was a new role to the business so it was a learning experience for both myself and my managers. The organisation at the beginning wasn't great but after a few months it was much better. I gave a presentation about my year with UB and the things I would have changed about the role as well as various conversations with my managers and colleagues and I am positive that the Compliance placements to follow will be much more organised.

    3/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • A great deal! I was told at the beginning of my placement that if there was anything I really wanted to do (within reason) that they would let me do it. Whilst on the course I earned my NEBOSH General Certificate qualification, Level 3 Food Safety and I was given DSE Assessor training. All qualifications and courses that I would not have had chance to participate in/earn without this placement. They are all great additions to my CV and linked in profile, making me more employable after Uni. I also made it clear at the beginning of my placement that I hated delivering presentations and I wasn't confident with them at all. Consequently, I was put on a Presentation Skills training course and I have significantly improved in delivering them.

    5/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    National Travel

    International Travel

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    5/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • The Central Compliance Intern Graduate role does not yet exist so I have not been offered a job with them. I have however been encouraged to apply for a role within UB and to push for a graduate Compliance role to be introduced which I can then apply for.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • The social scene wasn't great in Manchester as I was the youngest person in the office so I didn't really have people my own age to go out with, but for birthdays/leaving do's/weekend drinks etc.. there were many people in the office I could go out with. At the UB site in Hayes is where most of the interns are based and therefore more people my own age to have gone out with. There are intern modules throughout the year which gave me a chance to organise social plans with them.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • No where near the living cost of London, but you'd be expected to pay at least £100 a week to get somewhere decent to live. Nights out, clubs. drinks, food etc. were cheap in some places and expensive in others.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Manchester had a great nightlife as it is home to a few Universities and it has a wide range of nightclubs, bars etc.

    5/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There were many opportunities as Manchester is a very busy city. I joined a gym and visited the Trafford Centre and city centre shops regularly.

    5/5

    Report this review

Details

Placement (10 Months+)

North West

June 2016


View More Reviews