Visual Merchandising Intern for L'Oreal Paris Review

The main role is to create, design and implement POS into high street and grocery stores. Daily you will have to liaise with Linney (our supplier) to keep track of the current projects. Throughout the course of the day, you will spend time amending artwork after having meetings with marketing who will guide you on artwork (claims and design). You will need make sure to keep reminding marketing of deadlines to ensure we are on track. If there is an NPD launch (new product launch), you will have to create a mood board to get the concept started after liaising with marketing to understand what is expected from the launch. It is very important that the brief is as detailed as possible so that our supplier captures what is to be portrayed.

Project management and stakeholder management skills which have been useful when creating projects from the start. Developed a knowledge of visual merchandising and the expertise field. Learned instore trends which are important when working with the wider team and evaluating competitors performance. Expanded my creativity as you get a very hands-on experience when working particularly on a new product launch. Worked closely with Linney and retailers to improve processes and work on best practices has allowed me to add value to my work and demonstrate my knowledge. Learnt how to analyse competitors to make sure our POS is best in class. Networking with other VM teams within the company helped to share knowledge. Learnt to prioritise customer usability and interaction when developing POS. Built strong relationships with the wider team and external stakeholders.

Since the start of the placement, you are given a huge amount of responsibility but always with support. When a new product is launched, it is our job to think of original ways in which to present to customers prioritising consumer usability. The aim is to assess our competitors and make sure we perform better than them. It is a very fast-paced role which requires organisation and to keep on track with everything. There might be some bumps in the road as you must work quickly and efficiently, but seeing your ideas come to fruition is very gratifying. I highly appreciate the amount of responsibility I was given as it gave me a taste of the real word management. Once you get grips with the categories and day to day tasks, you will eventually lead two categories. This gives you the opportunity to become the main point of contact for the brands which gives you the power to influence the store presence and the brand. You will have to keep up since day one with everything, I really recommend having a daily to do list which will help you keep organized.

I received so much support throughout my placement from all my team members. I felt like my development was valued and prioritised. The wider team and suppliers will treat you like a permanent member of the team, and never as just an intern. They will encourage you to develop your skills and foster your knowledge. They will always give the space for you to input and challenge ideas. The team don't want to make you feel like you are monitored the whole time, therefore it will be up to you to be responsible enough and whenever you need help, ask for it. However, they will always keep an eye out for you and be ready and available to help.

I was impressed by the general atmosphere of the company. I had never expected employers to be so collaboratively with each other and be so willing to provide support when needed. As a whole, the culture is very friendly and approachable, making it very easy to integrate. It understands and respects the differences within the employers. You will always feel valued and respected. They always try to meet the aspirations of consumers worldwide by respecting the different cultures and adapting to ever-changing environments.

I have loved my job role and the culture within my placement. From the responsibility I was given to the fulfilment to see your project come to life. This placement has completely exceeded my expectations in the best ways possible. I never expected to be treated as a permanent employee rather than an intern. This has given me the chance to perform in my highest ability. I would have never thought applying to this role, that I would have been able to have such input and influence on big brands and launches. I also couldn’t be more thankful from my team. They have been the best support and friends I could have ever asked for.

Yes

My main advice would be to be aware that this is a very busy role and fast-paced which means you will have to be focused at all times and keep on top of your work. No need to say my best friend throughout this internship has been my daily to-do list of priorities (separating the most urgent and important but not urgent) to keep organised and know at which stage the work is. I feel like you need to always ask any doubts and explore beyond the mere surface given. Try to be involved in everything as much as possible. If you would like to be involved in a wider project, just ask they will be more than happy to make you part of it. Make an effort to gain insight into teams surrounding you closely which will be useful to gain a wider perspective of L’Oréal and expand your connections. Have the sufficient confidence to be able to approach people and chase them for deadlines. Do not be afraid to offer creative input within projects (even if output is being created from the marketing teams). Express yourself as much as possible, there is no right or wrong answer. They want a new pair of fresh eyes to give different direction to projects and to bring in new ways of challenging the usual structure of the day to day workflow.