Consumer Partnerships Intern Review

I absolutely loved my experience of working at American Express. When I was offered the placement I was wary about how exciting marketing would be in financial services. Since starting the placement I have realised American Express is not just a financial services company but a service company. Working at AMEX exceeded all expectations, from the projects I was working on, to the people I met and worked with and mostly the amazing, inclusive culture.

The team made a conscious effort to get me involved in social activities, and in my first couple of weeks I encouraged my line manager to meet with as many people as possible for coffee and network. This approach left me with a stronger network, which allowed me to reach out to more people for help with projects. The company made a big effort to welcome all the interns - taking us out on social occasions even to the London Eye for a champagne reception.

My manager helped guide and support me in my projects over the ten weeks. But as well as this, he helped me work on myself - building on my personal brand as well as delivering on the projects I was assigned. I would massively promote Amex as a company with a huge culture for collaboration and putting people first, and it is encouraged to move job roles every two years to further promote personal growth and development.

The first two weeks of the internship were heavily focused around networking and getting to grips with the project and department I was working in. I was given one key project to lead and execute throughout my time, which left me with free time to continue networking and exploring other areas of the business. However, as I enjoy being busy - by the end of the internship I was involved in five different projects, which kept me busy enough without being too intense. Amex don't swap you with work, and really want you to enjoy your experience, but if like me you enjoy being busy you can always get involved in more.

I was given responsibility to plan, execute and deliver a major project for the portfolio I was working on. Some of my ideas for the campaign ended up in the final creative, which was really great for me. I was given enough responsibility to feel like I was making a difference in the team, but without it feeling intense and that I couldn't enjoy myself.

The skills I have learnt will prove invaluable for me as I return to University for my final year of a Marketing degree. I have learnt the process of executing campaigns in large companies, and having to consider impact of communications on the brand of the company, as well as presentation skills, which will inevitably help me when pitching marketing ideas in my final year of University.

The offices were fun and atmosphere was generally really good. During the world cup we had social events in the office, for employees to take half an hour out and network whilst embracing the culture of the selected country theme for the event - eg Mexico theme including nachos and a piñata!

From the Assessment Centre I know I wanted this role due to the organization of the day. From day one of the actual internship, we had talks from senior leadership and insight into how our project links into the goals of the business. We had social events such as a boat party, community days such as gardening and more. We were given a line manager as well as a buddy - so there was always someone who could help.

I felt from the beginning of my journey with Amex that the company was investing in my personal development. I have been sent on self leadership courses and courses that give insight into different business units - to encourage my understanding of the workplace. My manger was always busy but always kept time in his diary for 1-2-1s with me to encourage my development.

The company made it clear from our first day that it is possible for each intern to get a grad job offer, and so not to treat it as a competition, but to use the individuals around us and help each other. I am finishing my placement in two week, and will find out the outcome on my last day - instead of some companies making you wait a long time to find out.

The company set up social events for all interns outside of work, such as drinks after our first day, a trip on the London Eye, a boat party cruise and a day in the Brighton offices followed by a BBQ. As interns are obviously selected based on a set criteria - we all got on as a cohort and would often spend lunch breaks together as a social group.

The cost of living was variable depending on the kind of place you wish to go. (It is Belgravia, London! There was a very pleasant pub next door to work with reasonable food and drink prices to socialize after work, but plenty of upmarket places around the area too if you fancied something a little more pricey.

I didn't go out much in the evening around the work area - but visited the pub with colleagues a few times and went out for dinner. In that sense, there is lots of bars and restaurants in the area to visit and socialise and good transport links to other parts of the city.

Amex has a wide range of employee networks you can get involved in outside of work, such as the millennial network and Centurion Toastmasters. Toastmasters allowed you to practice your public speaking and presenting skills before work, as well as offering a place to meet new people. Many networks have out of work meetings and events.