High Value Supporter Partnerships Intern Review

I would say that 'enjoyed' is probably the most accurate word to describe how I felt about my internship. Cancer Research UK is an incredibly fun and lively place to work. The office is really young, the social aspect really strong, and the work is varied and interesting. They make you feel very welcome which adds to the enjoyment.

You are instantly welcomed by your team at CRUK. On my second or third day we had a team lunch where we all eat together and get to know each other. If you ask your colleagues if there is anything you can help with they are very appreciative. We built a fantastic team dynamic (but I think I was particularly lucky that my team were so nice and got along so well).

My manager was maybe the highlight of my internship. She was incredibly supportive (I would do a really easy task and then be lavished with praise which is always nice). She always had work ready for me to do if I finished what I had been tasked with. She was always asking how I was getting on, whether I was enjoying myself, what would I want to change. We had weekly 1 to 1s which were helpful.

My busyness varied massively. I was mainly working on two fundraising campaigns, so there were naturally periods of varying intensity. I could definitely have been pushed further, but this was partly my fault. There was nice variety to my days with a mix of meetings and independent work. There were frequent workshops which would also break up my day but could mean I had to squeeze lots of work into the rest of the day.

I think it is a natural part of working in a large charity organisation, particularly on the fundraising side, that you would not have a huge amount of responsibility- everything I did would obviously have to be signed off from above. I was giving lots of agency to try and expand the campaigns to new areas and build new relationships which provided my highest level of responsibility.

Within CRUK you get given loads of opportunities to develop skills and expand your learning. They frequently get outside professionals in to conduct really interesting workshops on things like project management or conversation skills. I also feel equipped with key knowledge of the inner workings of a large charity which I know will increase my employability and effectiveness. My learnings were also really varied and not just restricted to the fundraising side of the organisation.

I couldn't fault the office atmosphere. It is really young and vibrant. We also benefitted from the fact that basically every day someone would bring in baked goods or treats from their holiday. There are fun things like Prosecco Friday's and after work socials. My placement was January-April, but I am told that in Summer the atmosphere improves even more. It is a really fun place to work.

The internship was very well organised and the HR department do as much as they can to make it seamless. We had interesting development days for key skills spread throughout the internship. We could have perhaps done with a little bit more guidance at the very start about the practical side of work (IT systems, printing, annual leave etc) because that can be overwhelming, but this wasn't a big problem.

This was one area that they clearly put a lot of effort into. You are automatically given an intern buddy (a previous intern now working full-time at CRUK) who is on hand for any advice and issues. You also have the opportunity to get a mentor from anywhere in the organisation who can introduce you to areas you are interested in and help with personal development. There are frequent training days and workshops (both intern-specific and as part of our wider teams) which are really helpful. I was particularly lucky with my manager, who was fantastic for personal development. Overall, you are given basically endless opportunities for development, it is just about how much you want to get out of them.

Very appealing. CRUK is a vast and highly respected organisation. They frequently give 'passion talks' which help to remind you of the value of the organisation and how important the cause is. They also pay very well for a charity, and you get really good perks if you work there full-time. They are very keen to promote from within, and a few of my fellow interns have been offered full-time jobs. I will be applying.

We had a small intake of only around 10 or 11 interns in the London office. We got on well as a group, and inevitably you bond the most with certain colleagues- I will be meeting up with a couple of them when we are travelling at the same time. We would usually go for pints after work on a Thursday (most of us didn't work on Fridays). My team also had a strong social culture.

High. The office is currently in Angel, which is a really convenient place to travel to. However, it would be a very expensive place to live. London rents are obviously very high. CRUK are moving to Stratford towards the end of 2019, which is a much cheaper place to live but also a far longer commute for most Londoners. There is a Wetherspoons close to the office, but other than that drinking and eating is pretty expensive.

I did not live that close by, but there are good nightclubs in Angel. There is a cheap Wetherspoons by the office, and also a really nice pub down the road with CRUK staff discount.

There were, but these largely become available in summer. They play in a mixed gender 5 aside league against other charities, and they have these leagues in loads of sports like softball, rounders, netball. I also worked alongside the Special Events team, which meant you could volunteer at some of their really cool events with lots of celebs and sports stars.