Lifestyle Communications Assistant Review

by BMW Group

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

Rating

3.6/5
  • The Role
    4.2
  • The Company
    3.3
  • The Culture
    3.0

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • My PR placement taught me a lot about how to approach journalists, how to sell stories to media outlets, how to write press materials as well as organise extensive media events such as press trips and product launches. I have also enjoyed the production aspect of the workplace (being on a car factory)

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • I got a lot of responsibility during my placement which I really appreciated . All colleagues regardless of their grade treated me with respect and always thanked me for all the little jobs that I managed. I also got to participate and attend on events which felt like a privilege as not everyone got to enjoy them.

    4/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • My team has supported me from the beginning and have never gotten cross with me when I made a mistake. Instead, we all learned from each other and had each other's backs which brought us closer and enhanced the team spirit in the office. They have also given constructive feedback.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • The workload varied: some days I had back to back meetings with several projects to handle at the same time and increased stress levels, while other days I found myself short of things to do. However, this was the case for everyone as naturally some periods of the year are busier than others.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • I have been given a lot of responsibility during my placement to the extent where I came to be seen as a full-time employee, rather than a student who is still at the beginning of their career. From managing big budgets and organising international events to liaising with people from all over the company I enjoyed freedom to both express myself creatively and test my limits.

    5/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • My PR placement was very relevant to my degree as I am studying media and communications and It enabled me to get full insight into the industry. I got to apply theoretical concepts to real live situations. I also got to experience the two sides of PR: in-house and agency.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • The atmosphere was not always positive and I often felt the need to work from the restaurant/terrace or even from home. Being in a creative role, I found that the office doesn't stimulate my creativity in any way, quite the contrary. It was also very easy to get caught up in other people's stress.

    3/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • I did not face any organisational problems regarding my placement. When I started I was provided with everything that I needed and I always found support in the HR team as well as in my line manager. This being said, I did have the freedom to tailor it to my work ethic.

    5/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • My manager took me to the majority of events that I was involved in which were great learning experiences where I got to meet people from the industry. However, there was no budget for intern to travel abroad on events which was a bit of a disappointment. HR also organised interesting workshops for personal development.

    4/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Subsidised Canteen

    Above 25 days holiday

    Working from home
    3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • The company doesn't offer a grad role to interns at the end of the internship and they have to apply just like anyone else. Rolls-Royce only have 8 grad scheme roles and considering there are around 100 intern, it is very competitive to say the least. However, they grad scheme is very well structured and interesting.

    3/5

    The Culture

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

    • Yes, it really helped to have like-minded people on the same journey as me. Over the year, we got very close, we went out a lot and made plenty of memories together. By far the hardest thing at the end of the placement was to say goodbye to them. Very lucky!

    5/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Living in Chichester, West Sussex wasn't cheap in terms of accommodation and social life but it was much better than living in London. Overall, I found that the salary was fair enough as I managed to sustain myself without my parents' help, I travelled quite a bit and put some money aside for the future.

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

    • Very bad, literally just one pub that became a club on Thursday and Friday. It wasn't a nice pub either. However, Portsmouth wasn't too far so we there a couple of times to enjoy proper nightlife. However, Chichester has very nice restaurant, shops and pretty much everything else you need.

    1/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Not a lot. Most people joined the gym and of course we went out with the other interns but my colleagues weren't very outgoing so we didn't do much outside of work apart from Christmas and leaving drinks. Chichester is a small town but it is close to the beach and to Brighton

    3/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

PR & Communications

South East

May 2019

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