Health Communications Intern Review

CRUK's internship is incredibly well-structured. There is great emphasis placed upon your professional role but also the ability to network and get involved in other aspects of charity life such as volunteering, intern fundraising. Additionally, in my case acting as a social secretary for the intern cohort of 45 meant that I was constantly challenged on a well-rounded basis. Such diversity means a strong host of skills are constantly being nurtured which can be transferable for future positions. Despite being assigned one formal role/title, there are opportunities to network across the other directorates, at least to the point of an informal induction, which can prove hugely insightful to gain insight!

Working in a really small team had both benefits and drawbacks but I can say that main benefit was the close bond you formed with your colleagues. On a day to day basis, I felt well valued and praised for the work I contributed to the team. I was well looked after and constantly given feedback for work that I produced so I could both improve upon and hone in on positive qualities. I was included in all aspects of team life and never made to feel an outsider. Even aspects of team life (such as annual team surveys) which interns could not formally contribute to, my opinion was still valued and input appreciated. Overall, incredibly so!

This certainly improved during my time here and by the end was a 10. 1-1s were a weekly norm and I felt comfortable slotting time in to my team's calendar's if I need help/ guidance on a piece of work- similarly they would often put time in my calendar to support me on my projects.

This varied. I feel that the internship needs to be more robustly planned to prevent any lull periods or inconsistencies in level of work activity. There was a period where I didn't have much to do and having not been informed on what project I would be moving on to, was slightly unsettled.

A good amount. My managers allowed me to take on lead roles on projects which gives me plenty to take from this placement and learn!

Presentation skills in particular. Also written and communication skills and how to condense large amounts of information into concise chunks. How to target information to different audiences was also a key learning point. In terms of in the working world, immensely!

Really lovely, positive and bubbly! You could tell that people loved what they did and their was a culture of conversation and collaborative work which proved really helpful.

By having different people in charge of different aspects of your intern experience, I certainly felt that the 12 weeks were organised well, especially with the periodic reviews which helped to identify any problem areas.

Really high level of investment; there were periodic personal development goals which your line manager monitored closely and ensured I was on track. At the end of placement review, it was rewarding to see the expansion of skills and pair up how projects had aided my own development.

Would love to return! This internship has been a great insight and has left a great taste in my mouth about CRUK!

Yes! We all went for weekly drinks organised by a social committee established on the very first week, so from the get go there were plenty of opportunities to get to know fellow placement students.

It is central London so it was what is to be expected around here!

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There was a fair amount broadcasted well via the weekly newsletter and alerts! It was very much about being proactive