Policy Development intern Review

by Cancer Research UK

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.4/5
  • The Role
    4.8
  • The Company
    4.5
  • The Culture
    3.9

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I enjoyed my internship a lot. I learned so much in three months and developed several useful skills . I got to do really interesting work, and everyone was really supportive and helpful, especially the internship coordinator, who set up professional development sessions for interns and allowed us to make the most of the many resources CRUK offers its interns. The hours weren't too stressful, and the tasks I got set, while challenging, aren't discouragingly difficult. The Angel office is also a great place to work.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I felt very valued by my colleagues. I worked on projects that were really interesting and challenging and got a lot of gratification from my work at Cancer research UK. I wasn't asked to do any mindless work that wouldn't do anything for my professional development. Everyone was really supportive and available in case I needed help with any of the work, and I felt like I was well integrated within days of beginning my internship. This was very different from other roles I'd had at other companies, and very much appreciated.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My manager was great about sitting down with me every so often and asking whether I was on my way towards reaching my goals for the internship. She gave me a lot of help in this regard, whether by providing guidance in certain areas herself or by directing me to others who could help better. We also discussed my work on a regular basis and I had loads of feedback on it throughout the internship, so I was able to adjust and learn as I went along. She was also very open to me approaching her with questions at any point in my project.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • I was quite busy at the beginning, but not too much toward the end. There's a steep learning curve in any job involving health research and dealing with the NHS. At the beginning, when I first got my assignments and had to familiarize myself with entirely new and complex topics, I was working very hard every day. However the further in I got, the less work I had to do on a daily basis, and by the end I was struggling to fill my day. Part of this may have been because my manager realised I had a lot of other commitments outside of the internship at the time. but I think as with most three-month internships, by the time I had a good grasp of the work it was too late to start a new project.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • Enough to keep my work interesting, but not so much that I felt under too much pressure. Internships at CRUK are on a voluntary basis so interns should feel able to leave at any time without negatively impacting the charity's work. Because of this. the projects we're given are corollary to each team's work. Within these constraints, I think my project involved quite a bit of responsibility because It involved writing for an external audience, attending external meetings and defining the charity's stance on an important topic.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • The Cancer Research UK internship scheme is great for interns' professional development. It is very much cantered around each intern's professional goals and interests. We were given the opportunity to attend several sessions on skills such as CV writing, presentation, project management, brainstorming, using LinkedIn, and applying the CRUK graduate placement. Furthermore, we had several really useful packets with info on resources available to us and avenues to get the right kind of support for our individual goals (such as the mentor and buddy systems).

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The general atmosphere was fun and energetic but not overwhelmingly intense. Everyone was very hardworking, driven and interested in their job so it was inspiring to be surrounded by them each day. Because there are no cubicles in the office, people can have quick chats in between tasks, which makes for a very congenial atmosphere. Also, everyone is very collaborative and willing to share information with each other.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • Very well organized. we were briefed on a lot of the charity's work before our first day so we could hit the ground running working within each of our teams. There were also a lot of resources available to us that allowed us to get the most from this experience. The mentor system, for example, allowed me to talk to someone outside my team about my goals both for the internship and after. She was able to give a very different perspective from my manager and fellow interns, which proved to be very helpful as I applied to other placements.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • A huge amount. The professional development sessions were great, and when I couldn't attend one of them on CV writing and interviews, my manager took the time to go through the material with me and give me advice based on her experience both as an applicant and as a recruiter. The internship is structured so that we receive a lot of training from the placements team, but the team I was part of also played a huge part in this.

    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?
  • Very appealing. The company seems to have quite a high turnover rate, as do most companies willing to hire individuals right out of university. However, everyone here seems to have a great work-life balance despite being very hardworking and driven. The atmosphere is energetic but not overwhelming. Compensation for most roles is great for early careers, it's right in the heart of Islington so there are a lot of great places for socializing.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • 5/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Living in London will always be very expensive, even if it's just 4 days a week. CRUK covers lunch expenses up to 4£, which is almost always enough in its canteen (which is pretty great honestly) but not if you want to grab a bite outside. Similarly, if you live in London, 56£ a week for transport is plenty, but if you're planning on commuting each week it won't always be enough. Some interns in my intake went out of pocket for this internship. However, since so many of the most rewarding internships are in London, I considered this a given when \I started searching for a job here, and it did not take away from the internship.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • 4/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Yes, there was intern fundraising, which required interns to come up with fundraising activities, plan them and implement them. The activities were as diverse as a candy cane delivery service at Christmas, a netball tournament, a pub quiz and a sweets-in-the-jar raffle. Almost everyone got involved in these activities, and some even took part in more than one project. each project had a representative on the intern fundraising committee. This activity gave us the opportunity to use leadership skills and creativity, which we wouldn't have used as much in our intern projects.

    4/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Medicine, Government

London

December 2017


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