HR Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my work placement at year pladis Global (previously United Biscuits). I found the whole experience really valuable in what I have learnt, the skills I have developed and the people that I have met and worked with throughout the year.

Everyone within the office was friendly and welcoming. My team were great, they were really supportive from the start, always interested in my opinion and I felt comfortable to ask any of them for help when I needed it. As part of my role I got to work with a variety of colleagues throughout the company, I always felt valued by them in the work I did and enjoyed being able to network with people from other departments.

My manager was very supportive of my development and ability over the year. I was often challenged to get involved with work and projects which were out of my comfort zone and stretched me to achieve more than I thought I could. There was always at least a couple of members of my team on site (if my manager wasn’t) who were happy to provide me support and guidance if I ever needed it. I was set clear objectives at the start of my placement year which included both goals for the short term as well as long term focuses.

This varied on a daily basis and depended on the projects I was involved in at the time. At the beginning of my placement I wasn’t overly busy, this was due to graduate recruitment not starting until September, which allowed me some time to get used to the basics of the role. I went through periods which were quieter and some where there was almost too much work to do in the time given. However on the whole once I got settled in and past the first couple of months I was always busy with something to do which I really enjoyed.

I was given a huge amount of responsibility from quite early on, I felt just as important as any other member of the team and not just an intern. By the end of my placement year I definitely felt like the amount of responsibility had increased which helped me to gain confidence in my own ability and what I can achieve.

I learnt and developed a variety of skills including how to manage my time effectively and prioritise work and deadlines, this will be useful back at university. I have also had plenty of opportunities to further develop my presentation skills which has helped me improve my confidence. I learnt many technical HR related skills and received training in specific aspects of my role which will be beneficial for my future career.

The atmosphere in the office was relaxed, calm and welcoming which reflects on the culture endorsed throughout pladis. Teams and departments had a good working relationship. Within my department the atmosphere was friendly and supportive. Colleagues would always work together to help each other out and everyone was interested in my development and would take time to ask me about it as well as provide insight into their roles and experiences .

The placement scheme was organised well, however as it is relatively new with a smaller intake compared to the graduate scheme, there are still areas for development. This was something which I was working on throughout the year as part of my role and took into account feedback from previous interns when making plans to improve the scheme as a whole. In terms of specific role, the HR intern role is organised really well with a variety of engaging work and responsibilities.

Throughout the intern programme there are a few training courses which were provided and compulsory, these were helping to develop skills such as presentations and personal branding which are beneficial when first starting out in the work place. There was also opportunity to get involved in other training and development both role specific and in other areas of interest.

Very appealing, the graduate scheme at pladis is well organised and provides a lot of training and business exposure. On leaving at the end of my placement year I was offered a place on the graduate scheme which I have happily accepted and looking forward to starting after final year of university.

There are only a small number of placement students at head office so was slightly limited in the social aspect. However we took part in development modules as part of the intern programme throughout the year, so would often try to arrange some social events around these. I was lucky to be part of a social team which particularly towards the end of my year became more sociable outside of work.

Quite expensive as head office is based in Hayes in the outskirts of London. This is dependent on where you choose to live.

There isn’t really much nightlife in or around Hayes, however you can get the tube to London easily. Most placement students recommend living somewhere such as Ealing where there is more going on than in Hayes.

There was a gym onsite which you could join with a variety of classes. There is also opportunity to get involved with volunteer or charity days.