Summer Placement Review

The virtual experience was very insightful and I learnt a lot more about the company and the functions. I was also able to hear about other people's experience at Unilever and what made them stay. The virtual experience was very well organised and the communication throughout the whole experience was very good. There were opportunities to ask questions throughout the experiences and all members of staff were very friendly. Even when there were technical difficulties, the organisers were very quick to help.

All members of staff at Unilever were very open-minded and honest. They were very open to answering any questions the participants. There were 15-20 minutes tea breaks and lunch breaks throughout the virtual experience to give everyone time to grab a snack which was very nice. The agenda for the day was very well thought out and took into account any technical issues the participants had which was very thoughtful. It was also a good opportunity to meet people from other functions.

Everyone at Unilever were happy to answer any questions the participants had and often encouraged people to ask questions. They were often happy to expand on answers as well as forward questions to the correct team to give you the best answer. Every morning for the virtual experience, we were sent a reminder by email to remind participants what time the experience started. Also, at the start of the day, the staff at Unilever went through the agenda so everyone knew what was going on.

We went through a range of skills for writing a CV as well as attending an interview, although the information given was more general, a lot of valuable tips were given throughout the presentation. I was to gain an insight into what the Summer Placement at Unilever consists of an a brief overview of the journey from start to finish. I also learnt more about Unilever and the purpose of the company, what their values are.

The virtual experience was very well structured and organised. The weeks leading up to the experience, emails were sent with pre-work and the agenda. The pre-work was very valuable as it prepared the participants for the events within the virtual experience. The pre-work was prepared to help the participants develop questions for the events planned out e.g. talks for different staff at Unilever. Overall, the tea breaks and lunch breaks were at suitable times and the agenda was very clear and the timings were stuck to.

The general atmosphere during my virtual experience was very welcoming and positive. The staff were clear about their expectations at the start of the virtual experience and were very friendly. Everyone introduced themselves at the start and were happy to answer questions. All staff were very honest and happy to help. When there were any tech issues, the staff were very quick to react. Overall, the general atmosphere was very inclusive and the experience was a positive one.

During this virtual experience, a site tour of the company was carried out. This consisted of a presentation with pictures and information about 2 different sites in the UK. This presentation also went through the history of different sites and what facilities they have, for example, gyms and pool tables. This talk gave an insight as to what facilities different sites have and how you could potentially spend your lunch breaks and time at the company.

During the virtual experience, there were 3 main opportunities to meet other employees at Unilever. During the first day, employees from different functions gave a talk on what they do and what their function consists of. There were also opportunities during the Q&A sessions with senior employees to network and hear other's journey at Unilever. The advice and discussions that occurred were very valuable and insightful - there was a lot of opportunities to learn.

There were many networking/ social event opportunities during this virtual experience. An example would be when there was a social evening where a quiz was involved with a prize at the end. There were opportunities to communicate with senior employees at Unilever during Q&A sessions, the employees were happy to answer any questions and gave very insightful and valuable advice. There was also an opportunity for the participants to meet one another virtually in smaller groups.

The Unilever sites have many activities that employees can get involved in during their lunch break as well as outside of work. An example would be having gyms on site - this provides you with the opportunity to join classes such as yoga classes during breaks or outside of work. Another example is volunteering outside of work, this could be at a local charity or church for example. During breaks at work, at certain sites there are pool tables and arcade games.

I would definitely recommend this virtual experience to a friend. The experience was easy to join and if there were any issues in terms of internet connect or problems with joining the call, the staff were quick to help. The environment was very inclusive and welcoming and all the employees at Unilever were more than happy to help and answer any questions. All of the participants were friendly. The event was well planned and organised.