Learning Innovation & Standards IP Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working for Unilever. This placement met and exceeded all my expectations. I was unsure whether to do a year of work of finish my studies early, but I have no regrets whatsoever working like I did. I'll definitely be applying for more roles within the business as I think it's a fantastic place to work!

I felt extremely valued throughout my time in Unilever by my colleagues. From the start I was always asked for my opinion as my team understood that I may have a new beneficial insight over those who have worked their longer. As my time in Unilever increased I found more and more colleagues were coming to me for advice and guidance which was really great! As they say, you get what you put in, if you invest in networking and connecting with others then you'll receive lots of support and opportunities back.

The support that I received throughout my placement was phenomenal. My Line manager worked at director level but despite this, always had time to engage with me and see how I was doing. I never felt isolated or alone and I can put that down to a great team, manager and supportive business structure.

Business would often vary for me. Sometimes I would have lots to do (and would be wishing I had no work) and other times I had less to do (and would be wishing for more work). Overall I had never been given too much to handle. I always received support and guidance if at times I felt overloaded. But sometimes I think it's good to be busy as you can learn a lot about prioritisation and handling several tasks to meet business deadlines.

Throughout my placement, I was given a tonne of responsibility. One of my first responsibilities was to connect with Global contacts and deliver research on how Unilever conducts itself within several markets around the world. I wasn't given any more manual tasks than my colleagues and always had space to experiment and think outside the box to deliver innovative solutions to our businesses problems.

I can say without a doubt, that I developed some super crucial skills in my role that will stay with me forever. Working in a Global business and specifically in a virtual team enabled me to hone in and develop my communication skills greatly. This is just one example of many that I could give, but I can say without a doubt that Unilever is super focused on skills development and I know throughout I have developed a tonne of skills continually that I can easily apply to many other roles or real-life situations.

I worked mostly virtually, but whenever I was in the office there was always a good vibe and energy. This vibe continued in every office I visited. From Port Sunlight and their pool table, to Leatherhead with their balcony to London Blackfriars with their incredible rooftop space. Would defintely recommend Unilever if you like to socialise and have fun!

Organisation was seemless throughout. Whenever I needed specific information, the careers team were on it and in many cases had already prepared a meeting to discuss with everyone. Yes you are always likely to have questions that don't necessarily get addressed but responses to these were quick and very helpful.

Unilever significantly invested in my development. I was able to attend external sessions that aided towards my own career development. I was also given opportunities outside of my role to grow. For example, Unilever runs an apprentice style competition for all of it's placements students and apprentices and offers some quite big prizes for the teams that are able to progress through each round.

There are several prospects open to placement students working at Unilever and these are all desirable, depending on what you want to do next. For example, the UFLP/ graduate scheme enables you to go on a fast-track to management programme, IP's can be recommended to join this programme too! Also Unilever offers direct recommendations for future Unilever jobs if you don't want apply for the UFLP scheme.

Social is great! And it all depends on how much you want to get involved! There were several outside of work groups running out from my office. These included, football, photography, netball and running for example. And whichever location you're in there will be other apprentices or IP's working their also, so you can connect and hang-out with them too!

Cost of living was pretty cheap around 400 a month for rent in the Liverpool area and then socialising and expenses came to another 200 a month. This left me some money to save and put to the side. I was also able to run a car during my placement which allowed me to travel home frequently.

I didn't go out too much whilst at my placement just because I had been there and done that at uni. However several of my colleagues and fellow placement students raved about the Liverpool night-life as there's plenty of venues and the costs are alot less than many other cities.

There are countless opportunities to get involved with outside of work. As mentioned earlier, there were several outside of work groups running out from my office. These included, football, photography, netball and running for example. And whichever location you're in there will be other apprentices or IP's working their also, so you can connect and hang-out with them too!