E-Commerce Executive Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my work placement at Pernod Ricard. It was definitely an insightful and eye-opening experience.

As an intern, I felt that I may not have anything valuable to contribute, that was certainly not the case. My team genuinely valued my opinions, and cared about my personal wellbeing. This in turn, instilled my confidence to support and assist others, and be the best version of myself.

PRUK has a supportive culture, and my supervisor placed a heavy emphasis on personal learning development. Whenever I encountered a situation, I knew she would always provide a supportive role if required, and to also identify the learnings from this. Even though my supervisor was always busy, she would find the time to catch up, and make sure that I am doing okay. She definitely made her team feel valued and supported and in turn, that made us strive to do better.

It varies significantly, for instance if you were in-between projects there would be a slight lull, but there is always something that could be done. There would be times when you are jugging several projects at once, which requires a great deal of time management.

PRUK places a heavy emphasis on proactivity, even though you are an intern, you are expected to contribute. This can be daunting at times, but when you rise to the challenge, it will be incredibly beneficial.

I learnt a great deal from this experience, from the soft skills such as communication in a professional work environment, to the technical skills such as managing Amazon Vendor Central, and 3rd party data platforms. Honestly, the skills I developed and the guidance I received is invaluable, which I hope I can put to good use in my future career path.

The office style and environment is quite casual. The open-desk plan, "sit anywhere you want wednesday", sessions organised by HR created an informal atmosphere. This encouraged intermingling between departments and different levels of management. The different cocktail sessions and lunches organised by brand team and HR, meant that we had the chance to network with people, that you didn't normally have the chance to meet.

We had a 2 week handover between previous and current interns, that meant we were able to as informed and prepared as much as possible. On our first day, we had an introductory session with our HR representative, IT meetings to receive our equipment. My supervisor organised one on one meetings with every member of the team, to have a better understanding of their role and how I can assist them. The new employees of the company (that included all levels of management), had an introductory session with the executive committee, and an event set up afterwards, for us to get to know one another.

Whilst the company itself places a heavy emphasis in training and development, interns weren't privy to the majority of the training available. However, my supervisor tried her best to ensure I was able to develop my skills, through her advice and guidance. We had quarterly meetings, to track my progress and ensure that I am getting the most out of my placement year.

As there isn't an established graduate scheme to gain entry into the company, it's a bit vague as to where there is availability, or a clear direction to enter from.

From early on, interns were encouraged to connect, and because every department had at least one intern, it was incredibly useful when an issue arises, where you require their assistance. It was definitely a mature yet social atmosphere.

Although west london wouldn't be as expensive as central London, it was incredibly expensive which meant that you had to budget your finances well, in order to make ends meet.

There wasn't much of a nightlife in my area, however it wasn't far from central London, so there wasn't a big difference.

There was always yoga or running sessions available during lunch to join, and the Chiswick Business Park offered a well-equipped gym. In terms of activities, there would occasionally be cocktail sessions to educate employees on the brands, and other opportunities to be involved.