Business Diversity Intern Review

I worked in the DE&I team to conduct a review of external partnerships relating to DE&I at Tesco. I led over 20 calls with stakeholders to discuss the names of partners worked with, the benefits they offer, the cost to Tesco, what protected characteristic they focus on, who owns the relationship and any background information. I collated large data sets and presented this to senior colleagues to prompt further reflection.

Through leading calls with a wide range of stakeholders, I have developed my communication skills and confidence when speaking to people from different backgrounds. I also got the opportunity to present live to audiences on 4 occasions, which aids the advancement of my presentation skills. I also collaborated with my team throughout the duration of my project, which offered numerous opportunities for feedback and enhanced my self-awareness.

I was given a large project that was my sole responsibility to deliver and present to my 3rd level manager in my last week of the internship. If I did not complete the project, nobody would have done in my place. My project consisted of a review into the current state of external DE&I partners so that we can strategize how we can best align our current state to the organisations DE&I agenda.

I received a buddy who had previously completed the same internship as me (but in a different team) and is now on the graduate scheme. This was incredibly useful as they had experienced many of the things I had experienced, so I could go to them for advice and support. I didn't receive much training in my role as I was physically capable of completing all the tasks assigned.

The culture is very friendly and informal. Many colleagues have been at Tesco for decades so know everyone across the business. I tried to network widely and only 1 person wasn't happy to speak to me due to how busy they were. However, like many office environments, there is lots of gossiping and talking behind people's backs unfortunately.

Some weeks of the internship were better than others. I struggled at the start due to the lack of inclusivity around my disability and lack of clear instruction surrounding my project. Little adjustments were made despite making my disability known to my manager and team. Despite this, I persevered and was able to complete my project to the required standard and present it back to senior stakeholders confidently.

Yes

You aren't expected to know everything about the business, but be prepared to be put on the spot to devise innovative ideas to improve the business during the recruitment process. Know Tesco's key competitors and what they are doing differently to Tesco. Be confident when talking about yourself as there is no requirement for previous experience or technical skills. All you need is your passion and confidence.