Summer Placement Virtual Experience Review

They did a really good job of making the experience as interesting and engaging as possible which I appreciate is really difficult to do online. I learnt a huge amount about the company and its brands and values in a very short space of time and the people were really fun and positive. I definitely enjoyed it a lot more than I expected and it provoked a lot of thought about my future career choices.

The culture of Unilever is very positive and friendly and this came through a lot even online. It was very apparent that the organisation cares about and values its employees in a way that other places don't. Everyone had the chance to ask questions and the employees that spoke to us treated all our ideas seriously and with respect. They were very welcoming and open to fresh ideas and wanted to hear what everyone had to say.

The tasks we had to do were quite straight forward but there was a lot of guidance and clear instructions for what they expected us to do. The pre-work they recommended for the workshops was really helpful and I felt informed and like I could join in easily. After the sessions, they said we were welcome to email them and reach out if we wanted any additional guidance. Overall, they were great at making sure that everyone was ok.

The overview of the different functions in the organisation was really detailed and I learned a lot about the business as a whole which I feel could be transferable to any organisation I may work for in the future. There was also a session on employability skills where they provided advice on how to make a good CV and tips to perform well in interviews which was helpful. The workshop about finding your purpose was a good exercise in self reflection which is important for career development.

The days were really well organised and there was clear itinerary for what was happening. It was well structured with lots of breaks and they were very understanding of the fact it was a lot of information and a long time to have to listen for! Everything ran very smoothly and it was perfectly on time so I was definitely impressed and I've been left with a very positive impression of Unilever as a company.

It was very informal and friendly, the people running the days were young and enthusiastic. Everyone was encouraged to participate and the organisers made an effort to make sure everyone was happy and was getting what they wanted out of the sessions. The opportunities where we broke off into smaller groups were also really friendly and inclusive. There was also a social and quiz in the evening which was very laid back and a nice way to meet the other summer interns.

I think it provided a really good insight into what it was like to work at the company. We were able to hear from people in the organisation at a variety of levels and they were very friendly, open and honest about their experiences and I gained a good understanding of the company culture and what the roles in each function were like to work in. This was the main benefit of the experience for me.

The experience was unpaid as it was a virtual insights session

Yes they left us their emails and made a social for us

They did a fun quiz but there wasn't really much networking as this was difficult online and in the short time available

They mentioned a few initiatives but it was only 2 days so this wasn't really a priority

I would definitely recommend the experience to a friend, I don't think they could have made it much better considering the circumstances! !