H.R. Resourcing Intern Review

I was given ownership and responsibility of my own project which I greatly enjoyed. On top of this, my role was varied and engaging.

Due to the fact that the placement is voluntary, the work interns are given makes a big impact upon the company and isn't just 'busy work' or administrative work. It is a very friendly working atmosphere, you feel like you are making a real difference and your colleagues value the work you do

You work closely with your manager who supports you as well as helping to guide your development. There are a range of incredibly useful workshops focused on developing crucial skills that are usual within any area of business or charity work.

It varied, but it is fair to say there was rarely a dull moment. Time management is key as while you are given a main project to complete and work on during your internship, you assist in various other tasks within CRUK which helps develop you further whilst providing insight into different aspects of the charity.

You are given significant responsibility and are given a lot of freedom in how you wish to approach and carry out the projects you are given.

You get as much out of the internship as you are willing to put into it. There are a vast range of CV, Interview, Presentation and other skill workshops that help develop skills that are immensely useful in the future. The advice you are given comes from experts their fields and you are offered the opportunity for a mentor from a different department to the one you work in providing an opportunity for personal growth and giving you a chance to learn about other areas of the charity. While CRUK is a charity due its size as the largest charity in the UK, it provides a great compromise of insight into both the charity sector and what it is like to work in a business environment as well as developing skills crucial to both.

The working culture at CRUK is fantastic. Staff are friendly, but productive and the work life balance is great with opportunities to work from home or have another job whilst working on the internship on offer.

CRUK has three intakes of interns every year and the internship as a consequence has become carefully refined and is extremely well run and even has fun optional tasks such as a Dragon Den type competition providing a chance to develop team working, innovation and presentation skills.

CRUK heavily invest in their interns which is displayed by how many current employees gained their current job at the charity through the internship. The internship work refines you and provides opportunity for you to be stretched and grow and there are several useful skill sessions in addition to guidance for mentors and managers.

The working culture at CRUK is great and consequently it is an appealing place to work. While career progression is not as clearly defined as in other organisations, people often progress either within their teams or move to other areas of the business meaning that your job never gets dull.

There are between 30-50 interns in each placement which provides a fantastic group of peers to get to know. Regular (optional) intern after work meet ups take place, alongside the chance to help out at CRUK big events alongside getting involved in the fun and social Intern Fundraising.

Unfortunately because the Internship is voluntary you are unpaid and London is not the cheapest place to live! However, this is balanced by all expenses (travel, food ect.) being covered with opportunities to work regionally and home-based.

The main office is in London, there is plenty of nightlife if you want to find it.

From helping out at large-scale charity events to running smaller fun and social internship events there are lots of activities to get involved with outside of work. There are lots of CRUK sports teams, but interns don't tend to take part in these. There are also lots of social events from both within your working team and the group of interns.