R&D Intern 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

3.9/5
  • About You
    4.4
  • The Company
    3.6
  • Everything Else
    3.8

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • I really enjoyed the insight days I had at Unilever. The employees were all very friendly and positive, making the work environment a collaborative space I think I could thrive in. The work was intellectually stimulating and not monotonous like other internships I have completed. Also, my mentor helped me with anything I was unsure of.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • Unilever goes a long way to treat its employees and staff, which was clear on my first day. I was treated as a member of the team immediately upon arrival. I was invited to and attended multiple work lunches and breakfasts where I got meet and network with employees from different branches, as well as get free food which is always fun. The work culture is extremely collaborative and driven to make the best of its employees.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • I received a good amount of support during my internship and felt really encouraged to ask for help if I had any questions. The social aspect of support was beyond expectation and really helped me meet new employees and branch out into different departments. The guidance on my assigned project was okay and I was left on my own to figure out most things, although I was able to ask for guidance if needed.

    4/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I learned a lot about the commercial side of my degree and its application in the real business world. Obviously, this tremendously helped me because I was able to apply my prior knowledge from university to real world problems that affect products we use in our everyday lives. It was great to gain this business perspective along with my scientific background.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • My stay at Unilever seemed to flow pretty well and there were not too many issues. While perhaps not the best structured insight program I have been to, it certainly offers great mentors who are friendly and can help guide you with your tasks and general questions about the company/work curlture etc. There are also a lot of social events that are open to interns which helps ease the stress of work and deadlines.

    3/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • As I have described, I believe the atmosphere at Unilever is positive, friendly and collaborative which is ideal for students who come to learn more about the industry they are interning in. The employees are all smart, fun, and hard-working, which helped drive me to work to the best of my ability because I enjoyed the people I worked with. Although some parts of the internship were stressful, for the most part it was very relaxed and aimed to help the intern as much as possible.

    4/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • I received a lot of one-on-one training from my advisors and general advice from work colleagues. As I was only there for a month, I did not undertake any leadership courses or such, though I was aware these were available. Unilever also offers many incentives to join its gym and health centre, which helps encourage healthy living.

    4/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • 3/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • The internship gave me a good insight of work culture at Unilever. The employees seem to be very passionate and intelligent. While everyone is hard-working and aims to achieve his/her best, it is not cut-throat competitive. Employees were really open minded and seemed to embrace diversity. There are so many international backgrounds in Unilever so you are always meeting people from various different countries and this helps add to the company's uniqueness.

    4/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • The internship was really helpful in determining what I will choose to do in my career path. I came to the conclusion that monotonous lab work was not for me and that I really enjoyed talking with people about ideas and concepts (marketing was great and the people are amazing). I also realised that I am more optimistic to trying new fields in the realms of science and business to see other sorts of job opportunites.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • I was reimbursed certain travel costs (pertaining to my project) and all food/drink expenses.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • 3/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • The social events were great! They always had loads of food and drinks, so you could meet employees during breakfasts or lunches. This really helped introduce me to different people in the company from different branches. Also, it was a good chance to speak to other interns and network with them. Definitely a lot of fun and a relaxing break from work.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • I did not find out too many work-related activities that employees engage in. However, I was made aware of all the fitness classes they offered throughout the weeks, which they seemed to take pretty seriously, I understood that Unilever employees often take leadership courses where they get to travel with their team, go to fancy places, and get paid for training. Not too bad as far as I am concerned.

    4/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • I would absolutely recommend the insight to a fried -- you learn a lot about the orgnisation and branch, and they offer many opportunities to network with employees to ask questions and help build your connections. The work is manageable yet at the same time, challenging and intellectually stimulating. I had a great four weeks overall and do not regret the experience one bit!

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

International

October 2017


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