Communications Associate Review

I very much enjoyed my placement. The tasks I were assigned were broad and varied, giving me a large amount of experience in PR, communications and media. I was given responsibility to implement projects and deliver results, a level of empowerment I appreciated. I felt valued by my colleagues as though I were a permanent member of the team, and was supported in my tasks by colleagues.

I felt valued and supported by my colleagues - as eluded to above - as they gave me responsibility to deliver tasks, meaning I wasn't micromanaged. They were always willing to answer questions and often volunteered to explain aspects to me which I had never thought to ask about, ensuring I gained a vast amount of experience during the placement. They were conscious of the work I was assigned, each attempting to give me a broad range of activities to complete, another aspect I greatly appreciated.

My Line Manager was very supportive, always willing to answer questions about tasks and the industry in general. She worked hard to ensure I had a varied and broad assortment of tasks to complete, and was very conscious of me gaining experience in every aspect of the team. Management were supportive, giving me advice and support alongside treating me as a fully fledged member of the team.

I was given a variety of tasks, but compared to my university work, I was less busy than I am used to. Some tasks I was assigned were relatively basic, and only rarely did I have a large workload to manage. I would have liked to have been given loner-term projects to work on, giving me more of a sense of ownership over my work.

I was given a fair amount of responsibility, being given ownership of the implementation of two projects. I appreciated the level of responsibility and trust given to me, yet I would have liked to have more of such projects. This would have allowed me to develop my project management skills, alongside varying my workload more and allowing me to demonstrate how I can respond to crisis situations where no contingency is in place. This being said, I appreciate how the team assigned me tasks and let me get on with them in my own time, making no attempt to micromanage my placement.

The ability to work to deadlines and keep on top of a variety of tasks is definitely a skill I shall take back to my degree studies. The knowledge I have gained of the media industry, PR and communications has given me a far more in-depth insight into how this industry operates, something I will take forward in my life and potential future career. The ability to manage the implementation of projects has developed my project management and leadership skills, two crucial take-aways for job interviews and future career development.

There was a good atmosphere; colleagues got on well with one another and joked around. With the office being in central London, there was a real buzz around activities.

Centrally, the placement was organised very well. There were centrally organised deadlines, events, webinars, info sessions, etc. which were very helpful. Travel to these was well organised. On arrival in my team, it seemed as though little thought had gone into what it was I would be doing - something that only became formed in my third week.

I was sent on a creative writing workshop and invited to attend various meetings / webinars to expand my knowledge and scope of understanding. I appreciated this, especially considering I was a temporary employee so the return on their investment was limited.

Relatively appealing - the broad range of work, financial and non-financial perks and ability to progress are all enticing aspects of applying for a permanent role at LBG. However, working in an office every day, and often being lumped with bureaucratic / process tasks which restrain your dynamism makes future prospects less appealing.

I did not live with fellow placement students, choosing to live in my own home. Therefore I did not manage to really involve myself with many other interns. However, I met some around the building and at the induction conference which I kept in contact with throughout my placement and often met for lunch / drinks after work / etc.

London is an expensive place to live. Lunch and drinks were expensive. However I go to university in London so am used to this, and the £100 contribution per week to my rent from LBG was very helpful indeed.

In London nightlife is varied and dynamic. I already live here so obviously enjoy it.

My team / office did some out of work activities, but these were limited. We occasionally went for drinks / to an event / etc. This was good fun and once again made me feel like a permanent member of the team.