Summer intern Review

The virtual experience was really enjoyable and engaging. Having the interactive workshops made it far more enjoyable, meaning we could speak in small groups and properly work with other students. We had access to some senior members of Unilever staff, which gave us the opportunity to ask questions and gain valuable insight into the company. The Microsoft Teams format made it very easy to ask questions and get clarity on all tasks if we thought it necessary.

Unilever definitely made all students feel very valued during their virtual experience. All students had been allocated groups prior to the insight days, meaning everyone has been properly considered. We all had the opportunity to ask questions throughout the virtual experience, alongside the opportunity to 'find our purpose' during the purpose workshop. This was a really exciting workshop, consisting of break out sessions, where we were encouraged to find our individual 'purpose' - a really individualised programme.

There was plenty of guidance and support during the virtual experience. Staff were on hand throughout the entire experience and were incredibly easy to speak to, meaning we could ask any questions we wanted and seek help at all times. We also had the opportunity to feedback during the virtual experience. Microsoft Teams meant we could feedback directly by turning on our microphones and asking questions or commenting on the work to improve our understanding.

I developed skills primarily surrounding communication and team work. These were fostered in the small group break out sessions, alongside the bigger team calls and Q&A sessions, and using the virtual format where you have to work hard to engage with everyone constantly. These skills I can apply to my uni group work, but also any future employment opportunities, given most will involve at least some degree of communication and working in small or large teams.

The virtual experience was well structured, with an agenda sent to all participants before the week started. Breaks were scheduled frequently to allow students time away from their laptop screens and time for breaks and meals. There was a good mix of interactive sessions and talks with senior staff members, meaning there was a lot of variety to keep you engaged. I particularly enjoyed the more interactive sessions as they meant you were able to work with other likeminded students.

The atmosphere throughout the virtual experience was broadly very positive. Everyone was full of ideas and mainly happy to communicate them to the group. All participants participated throughout and many of us took part in the virtual social offered on the first evening, which made the experience more informal. It was particularly good considering the difficulty of creating a good atmosphere in a virtual context, and very appreciated by all participating students on the programme!

The firm did seem to invest very strongly in all the students, given there were only a small number of us involved but a lot of work had gone into organising the sessions. There was a fairly large number of staff involved in the virtual experience over the few days, which all participating students really appreciated. We also appreciated that the team had been able to deliver some type of virtual offering in place of the planned in person.

It was definitely very valuable to learn about the firm culture. Both implicitly, through the sessions and the work but also by actually speaking to staff and asking them about the people culture. It made me feel very positively about working at the firm and certainly confirmed by understanding of what it is like to work there. This included the actual places of work, the benefits of working there, the types of travel you can expect at the firm.

The virtual experience definitely helped me understand the company culture in the sense that we could gain insight from senior staff members at the company. They were able to discuss in depth the sorts of people who work at the firm and the types of staff benefits/initiatives to keep staff happy that are in place. There was a huge focus on sustainability which seemed to tie the employees together in a shared purpose and focus.

The virtual experience was incredibly helpful in deciding my future career path. I learnt that I would love a role at the firm and that the company culture was definitely one I would like to work within. I also learnt about the specific job functions and this informed my decision to work in marketing at the firm. Overall, I would say this experience was very valuable in confirming my future career plans and aspirations to work at the firm.

I was not paid for this experience.

There were lots of opportunities to network with people at the firm, both through small groups and big Q&A sessions. This was really valuable in learning what the firm values and looks for in applications as well as general employability advice. I learnt a lot from all the employees and the networking opportunity was very beneficial to learn directly from people at the firm. However, there was no specific networking session to discuss specific roles at the firm.

There was one social event on the first evening. This was a quiz type event, where individuals could chat and have a drink whilst taking part in the quiz. This was a really nice way to discuss with everyone in a more formal setting and get to know the other participating students. This area of the placement could have been enhanced, but perhaps only if the placement was longer there would have been opportunities for this.

This was not really discussed.

I would definitely recommend to a friend.