Public Affairs Intern Review

The working atmosphere at Macmillan is brilliant. Everyone is so accommodating and friendly that you feel comfortable and at home quickly. The one negative is how hectic the workload is for a lot of people and it is hard to keep up with developments.

My colleagues in the Public Affairs team are excellent at providing feedback and encouragement. They have been excellent at ensuring the work I do fits with the quality of the team, and have done this in such a supportive and positive way that I have always felt valued here.

I have received a lot of support and advice from my supervisor, manager and head of department. They have always been extremely welcoming and keen to remind me how grateful they are for inters for giving their time for free. The one issue is sometimes it it can feel like they are too busy to talk to or seek advice on little things from, as you don't want to disturb them.

At Macmillan they really encourage pro-activity so you can be as busy as you want to be. If you don't take your own initiative then you will still have plenty to do! But taking your own initiative to go speak to Managers from other departments about their roles etc can really help you to understand the organization and how your work fits into the whole output at Macmillan. There are so many projects and campaigns going on that it is worth while getting involved with them and offering your help if you find it interesting.

I genuinely felt like I was being given work that any other employee here would be asked to complete. I was never asked to do general admin for other people, or to just fill out hundreds of spreadsheets. You are given a project to complete and you are given real responsibility to run it the same way an employee would. This has been the best part oft he placement in my view as it has given me excellent experience to take forward.

I feel that the skills I have learnt and the experience I have had will definitely help me in my future. Being given a chance to run a project in one of the nation's biggest charities is only going to look good on your CV. Interning at such a large organization in one of the most competitive employment sectors in the country can only be a good thing.

There was a great atmosphere in the office. People are genuinely friendly and you always feel included in any social plans that might be taking place. The workload is heavy so it can mean that people are sometimes a bit quiet, but that is understandable. But most of the time the place is great fun.

I would say that the internship has been organized very well. As it is reasonably new in its current format I think some things will improve with time, such as help and information on how to claim expenses and the mentoring service, but my supervisor has organized the work I was to do brilliantly and I have never felt like I haven't had enough (or too much) to do.

You do have the opportunity to attend internal training and development sessions, but as an intern you can't access the list of upcoming training being offered so it's not always easy to keep on top of this. But my team was always bringing things to my attention and encouraging me to take part in training opportunities.

There are a few jobs coming up and I have been told that I should apply, but you are told that it is competitive and just because you have done an internship doesn't mean you will get a job - but it does mean you have access to the people who will be hiring so you can ask questions and maybe get help from other people who have been through the interview process.

I think as all of the intern were in different departments it can be hard for there to be one, cohesive social scene. We as a group decided early on that there should be a social secretary who could organize a pub quiz or special lunches once or twice a month so that all the interns had the opportunity to meet and talk to other people in their situation and not feel isolated.

I have been fairly lucky as I have been staying with a Uni friend which has kept the cost of living down a little bit, but nowhere in London is cheap. A 3 month placement is just about doable, but you may need to get a part time job. If you are not rich then it is hard to socialise lots when you aren't getting paid, but in today's world these are the things we have to do to get on with your career unfortunately.

There are a few bars and pubs right next to UKO which people tend to go to straight after work on Fridays. There are a number of places nearby to get food as well which is very handy.

Macmillan have a few sport teams that meet once a week for training and play in a charity league, such as football, netball and softball. Everyone is made to feel welcome and encouraged to join in!