Finance Executive Intern Review

I really enjoyed my placement somewhat. Working for Pernod Ricard UK has provided with so many opportunities to develop and grow as a person and as well as a professional. From day 1, you are integrated into the team and given real responsibility early on, completing valuable work that has an impact. The transition from university into my first professional job was daunting, but Pernod Ricard understood that and made my move a lot easier without overcomplicating it. The culture of the work force allowed me to feel at ease and gradually ease into a working environment after 2 years at uni. Working for a business in the drinks industry makes the job even more interesting as you can see what interesting things the business is working and the chance to experience some of these benefits makes it even more worthwhile.

Joining a team of people that have years on experience in the respective jobs can be difficult but from the day we were introduced, my situation was understood and I was welcomed to the team. A huge standout out was that I was not treated as the placement student but a member of my team and given responsibility early on as if I had been working there much longer. One important thing was that my colleagues did not see me as just another worker, but as a person that they could have conversations with that were not necessarily work related - which is important to maintaining an effective team but to enjoy working in that team.

Coming into my role was challenging as I was the first person to be in the role but my manager was very considerate of the fact and it was a learning curve for both of us. Should I have had any questions I needed to ask or questions about that work that I may not have understood, my manager was happy to guide me and help me not only to have the work completed but to teach me. Working closely with my manager meant that I was able to learn things that may not directly translate to my work but will help for the future which is the guidance that is invaluable. there were times where I had made mistakes, but I was shown how to rectify them and how to improve next time.

Working in my industry means that there were times of the month and year where I will be busier than others. Having given real responsibility, it was my choice how I organise work and coordinate certain aspects of work with the initial help of my team around me. I learnt early on the importance of time management, prioritisation and how to address the time needs of certain tasks which helped me manage busier times more effectively. I would say that I always had tasks to work on and at times I had to balance things but never was there a situation where I felt I couldn't get the job done or not complete it to the best of my ability. But most importantly, I was able to enjoy my time outside of work hours!

A huge amount! The skills and jobs I completed could be expected of more experienced individual but I was delegated tasks that had such a vital role to play in my team. As said, I was treated as a valued team member and with that comes the responsibility of completing work for different teams and individuals. Without some of the work I had done, the work completed beyond that will not be able to have taken place. I took ownership of many tasks and I was able to make it my own with the improvements to the process and how it was conducted.

Working in my field can be hard to enter as it can be extremely competitive. However, the work I have done over the year has proven so valuable that I can translate into my future career and studies more than I could have imagined. Beyond the skills that were directly related to the job, I learnt so much more about personal qualities such as teamwork, organisation, analysis, communication and diligence to the extent that I have built on something I thought I was already good at. I will definitely take the approaches I have learnt with my in the future.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and it was obvious throughout the workforce. Pernod Ricard really believes in conviviality, and trying to bring everyone together as the type of people you see around the office are friendly and do seem to enjoy working there. There is a lot of emphasis from the top of the organisation to try ensure that there is this vibrant atmosphere, and it is accepted throughout.

As previously said, I was the first person in my role so it was a new territory for the team for when I joined. That being said, I never had any faults or reservations on how it was set up, and if I did, I knew exactly who to talk to. Constant support was always at a fingertips reach and communication was always there. Being a group of placement students in the organisation meant we can easily talk to one and another about it. But I never felt myself as a placement student but more a member of the wider team.

The main investment in me was time. I was given the opportunity to start something that many people did not get the opportunity. From the first day, people were patient with me and knew the position I was in and took that as a way to provide me with as much as possible that would benefit in the present and the future.

There is not a graduate scheme but there have been employees that have returned from their final year at university, after completing the placement with Pernod Ricard, to work there after graduation. I believe that if they liked your work and presence, and the right job opportunity was available, the prospect would be available. It is a matter of the situation at hand but it does not appear as a closed door.

In my time, there were 12 placement students who all got on well. The characteristics of each student had somewhat compared to what the company was trying to build in its workforce. We would spend a lot of time together at the workplace but would also be able to get on well with each other outside of the work environment which I think is important too. In the office, there was perhaps sometimes a divide between departments where some teams would be involved in more events than others but that is down to the nature of the work and will appear wherever you may work.

The office was situated in Chiswick, so it wasn't overly expensive but by no means was it cheap - London is known to be expensive! I was able to live at home, but from what I have heard the cost of living was as expected of London. Perhaps the salary offered was maybe not as comprehensive to satisfy those who had to be self sufficient throughout the placement year to cover London rent, food, socialising, transport etc. There were reasonable transport links to get into central London and around West London so it was good to get around and do things.

Working in Chiswick Park, the area cleared very quickly after 6 in the evening. There was 1 or 2 local pubs that people did go to for a drink but it wasn't somewhere where you could spend the whole night. Luckily, Gunnersbury tube station was nearby, so you were able to get into places that offered more of a nightlife easily and in a relatively short period of time.

The business did offer sports clubs such as Tennis, Football, Yoga and the occasional one off activities. Brand ambassadors did start to organise drinks masterclass giving employees a chance to learn more about the products and similar things along those lines. As a new employee we had an introductory social, and a chance to go to the annual company conference which are enjoyable and very social and a good chance to meet new people. Often, events that are organised by specific brands are branched out to employees but sometimes it will only be those involved but times it will even be advertised on the portal. Ascot tickets can come in very handy!