Talent Acquisition Review

Thoroughly enjoyed my placement year at L'Oreal as was given a high amount of responsibility alongside with all the necessary guidance and assistance to ensure I meet my set goals and targets. The training and integration into both my team and the wider Business was seamless and made the transition from University into the Corporate world so much easier.

The training and information provided by the Graduate and Intern HR team was so beneficial and made me feel like part of the Business rather than an intern who is here for one year before continuing with their degree. Furthermore, my team gave me full responsibility of tasks which enabled me to feel valued and trusted.

My manager and I worked very closely and had weekly scheduled catch-up's whereby clear plans were set in place for the week ahead including allowing me to create my own plan to expand upon my leanings and work on aspects that I am passionate about. The wider HR team also gave clear guidance from day one to ensure a smooth transition from University to the Corporate environment.

My role varied a lot due to the volume appearing in waves that were beyond any of our control. My volume was largely affected by the wider economy and the news in the media i.e. Department Stores going into administration and Brexit updates. However my role was always manageable. In the more chaotic times I definitely had a higher work load than I could manage during the 9-5 but it was manageable and I had a great support network around me. I would rather be busy than bored!

Due to being part of a smaller team I had a large amount of responsibility that enabled me to see the immediate effect of my work and feedback from others. This was something I highly appreciated. Furthermore my manager was amazing in pushing me to step outside my comfort zone when perhaps I wouldn't have done without their confidence in me.

I have learnt so much in my time at L'Oreal and developed a a variety of skills that will definitely help me during the final year of my degree and beyond. Moreover, I have learnt a lot not just about Business but about myself which is invaluable and something I will take away and keep with me.

Really positive atmosphere where there is a real balance of working hard as well as celebrating success where it is deserved. A very social company where you make friendships that go beyond your 9-5 Monday to Friday. People were always socialising as a team outside of the work hours and initiatives during the day to incorporate time out/fun events also meant there was never a boring day!

The Graduate and Intern HR Team made the transition into the placement super seamless by organising events for the new interns even prior to beginning in the summer. This had a massive impact as it was so lovely to have familiar faces on your first day in the office. Overall the placement year was very organised.

L'Oreal took time to understand my needs and aspects where I wanted to grow and took that into consideration when discussing ideas for projects. They focused on areas where I believed I needed development as well as providing constant feedback to help me understand where my strengths and areas for improvement lie.

Ideally I would love to return to L'Oreal after finishing my degree. Unfortunately for the role I want to pursue there is not an option to apply to a graduate scheme. However this is not the only option and I will be applying to alternatives to hopefully portray how genuinely invested I am in continuing my career within L'Oreal post graduation.

There was a strong network amongst the intern community however for me personally I formed stronger bonds with my team and colleagues than perhaps other interns did due to being the only intern within my team. My team fully made me feel like a colleague rather than an intern who is being replaced in 12 months time.

My placement was based in London and I had to re-locate here for the year to ensure I could travel to the office. Therefore the cost of living is much more than at University however this is something I was prepared for and am in a fortunate situation where my family were able to assist with covering some financial aspects.

The office is based in Hammersmith which has little nightlife but it was nice to go to the numerous pubs along the river in the summer months. Furthermore as Hammersmith is not far from central London there are multiple other options for nightlife that are not too far away at all.

There were lots of opportunities to par-take in activities outside of work both with the intern community and with colleagues. Events often occurred on during the working week which was also super beneficial for those who were commuting as it meant they didn't have to travel in addition to the Monday - Friday.