Business Operations Advisor - Summer Internship 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

3.6/5
  • The Role
    3.7
  • The Company
    3.9
  • The Culture
    3.0

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • My 12 week summer internship in Customer Development was a really good experience. I learned a great deal whilst I was here, being offered proficient training in many areas, and I was given roles with real responsibility. Everyone was really friendly and the casual dress code, flexible hours and daily free ice cream created a welcoming work environment! The main drawback to the summer placement at Unilever, in my opinion, is the length of it. At 12 weeks, it is longer than most summer placements and takes up the whole of your summer – quite tiring if you have Uni work to also complete before term starts.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • By the end of my placement I felt like a valued member of the team. Everyone would ask me to help them out with tasks because they were confident I could help to deliver them. The team even took me out for a meal to say goodbye, saying how great it had been having me around to help over the summer.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • The placement scheme at Unilever is great for offering support and guidance. We began our placements with a night in a hotel hosted by grads on the scheme, allowing us to ask any questions we might have and get to know the other placement students. We were introduced to the main co-ordinator of the scheme who made clear we could ask him any questions. We were all given a mentor, someone who we wouldn’t be working with on a daily basis, who we could also turn to with any questions and who set up meetings with us to make sure our placement was going well. All the placement students were given general training to help with our roles and understanding of the company and then my manager ensured I was signed up to any additional courses that might help me. The friendly nature of Unilever employees definitely means that ‘no question is a silly question’ and I knew that I could turn to anyone to ask for advice.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • This varied. For the first few weeks of my placement, I was not very busy as my manager hadn’t currently assigned any tasks to me and I couldn’t carry out much work until I had completed relevant training. However, once I was given tasks to get stuck into the days became busier and I made sure that I attended all meetings and additional training so that I could to make the most of my time here.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • It is true that you are given real responsibility even as a summer placement at Unilever. I carried out tasks that would be fed back to key customers and to leadership teams at Unilever. A good example of the responsibility I was given is the fact that in my fourth week here I went to a key retailer and gave a presentation to a new buyer.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I don’t think the skills I learnt will have a big impact upon my degree as I study History and a lot of the work I carried out involved data analysis and numbers. However, the placement did improve my confidence and communication skills which are universal skills. The placement did give my invaluable insight into a successful consumer goods company and provided me with knowledge that I will take to any further roles post University.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • Very friendly! I wore jeans to work every day, which was the norm, and was able to work hours that suited me – 8.30-5. Whilst Unilever is said to have hot desking, people generally sat in the same seats each day and I built good relationships with the people I worked around. I worked at Leatherhead, which has a great number of employees so there was a sociable canteen and the office was always a general hub of activity (apart from on Fridays when everyone works from home!).

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The placement scheme here is well organised. We were given relevant information before we started, although we didn’t find out our exact role until a week before. There is a good support system in place, with advice from grads, mentors and training. I know some students received a work plan to work towards in their 12 weeks but I didn’t. I think this would have beneficial, giving some clearer aims.

    4/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • When I joined the Customer Development Team were beginning their ‘Month of Learning’ and my manager advised me to sign up to as many courses as possible, for instance I went to a talk on profit and loss and a session of giving presentations. We started the placement with 2 days training at the main site in Leatherhead before we attended any training specific to our roles.

    5/5

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

    Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    Company Car

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    National Travel

    International Travel

    Financial Bonus

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Above 25 days holiday

    Working from home

    Healthcare from home

    Healthcare/Dental

    Travel loan

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • I am very keen to get on the graduate scheme here – the Future Leaders Programme. At the end of our summer placement we were given a review and as I passed I have been fast-tracked to the assessment centre for getting a place on the graduate scheme. The scheme offers good benefits and experience and this is a great company to work for.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • As I lived at home in Reading I was quite far away from all the other placement students who lived in London. However, due to facebook groups we all kept in touch with each other and organised nights out for socialising. At the end of our summer placement we made sure that we all met up outside of the office.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • I lived at home so didn’t face high living costs – but it did cost me £14.90 a day on train fares.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • The Leatherhead office is in a field and the immediate area isn’t a place you would head for nightlife. However, it isn’t too far into Wimbledon or Clapham for better nightlife prospects.

    2/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Within a short time of my arrival there was a Customer Development Evening in Brixton with free food, drinks and fancy dress which was a great socialising opportunity! My team also organised a barbeque and I attended a couple of team away days which resulted in evenings out. We had lunch together out of the office on a few occasions.

    4/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Business Management, Marketing

South East

June 2017


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