Marketing Intern Review

I really enjoyed my internship at Cancer Research UK. I have gained a deeper sense of what working in marketing would involve. It was a great working environment as everyone is really friendly and approachable. I feel like I will be leaving with a great set of skills and experience as well as meeting new friends.

I definitely felt valued by my colleagues. It was stressed from the start of the placement that my ideas and suggestions would be taken seriously as the interns can provide a fresh 'outsiders' perspective. I felt like my research and work was valued within the team and they always showed appreciation for the work that I was doing.

I was very well supported by not only my manager, but the whole team. Each week I had a review where we discussed progress with my projects, workload etc. I felt like I could approach anyone from the team with any questions and they were more than happy to give by guidance and support.

I tended to be pretty busy on a daily basis. The workload starts off quite slow but this is a good way to get you familiar with the working environment. Things got busier towards the end of the internship but I was very well supported and had weekly meetings with my manager to discuss whether I needed more or less work.

I felt like I was given the perfect amount of responsibility during my internship. I was trusted to work autonomously on my projects but support was always there if I needed it. You definitely need to be self-motivated during the placement, and it's very rewarding to see the final product of all your hard work!

It's definitely been a great experience for developing skills within a large organisation, this will help me when applying to jobs and I feel this will give me an advantage over other applicants. It's also a good idea to take the initiative and make connections beyond those working in your team. I've narrowed down which specific jobs will suit me based on networking within the organisation and finding out more about various people's experiences.

The general atmosphere was busy but friendly! Everyone was very welcoming from the first day and were all very approachable. Within the office the interns are taken seriously and treated as part of the team. Our opinions were respected and taken on board rather than dismissed. It's a very upbeat working environment.

The internship was very well organised. There was one point of contact who was in charge of overseeing all of the intern-related activities and sent out regular emails and reminders. Within my own team things were also very organised. My work was manageable to keep on top of because of this and made the whole experience more enjoyable.

There were opportunities for personal development within the internship. We were given the opportunity to attend CV and presentation workshops - both of which were useful and went beyond generic advice. We were also given the opportunity to apply for a mentor, although this could have been done earlier in the internship to reap the full benefit.

Very appealing. The working environment and spirit of the company is very upbeat. Cancer Research UK also advertise jobs within the organisation first so having been an intern is an advantage. I am also interested in working in the charity sector as the work feels very rewarding knowing that it is contributing to a good cause.

Yes. Interns would always eat lunch together in the building's café. It was easy to meet interns from other departments and everyone was open to friendship. Intern fundraising was also a great way to get involved in the social side of the internship. There were after-work drinks every Thursday just for the interns at the local pub.

It was pretty expensive, but this is to be expected in London. Definitely something to keep in mind when applying as the internship is unpaid. Travel and lunch were covered by Cancer Research UK but it was still expensive to eat, live and socialise. I wish the organisation would have provided more reimbursement for living costs.

I never went out at night in the area beyond after work drinks so I'm not sure. I don't think any of the interns went clubbing together. Angel is a quieter area of London in general, but there are plenty of bars and pubs to enjoy! The area is really pleasant in general.

The main activities outside of work were - intern fundraising, after work drinks, personal development workshops. These were pretty regular throughout the internship and it was really easy to get involved with anything, even at the last minute! I think it was the right balance of work and non-work activities, but there weren't loads.