Assistant Manager, Marketing Strategy & Planning Review

I really, really enjoyed my placement. I think the truest reflection of how much I enjoyed it is how quickly it's gone by- when I started I was concerned that I'd be watching my summer slowly drain away as I sat at a desk looking out the window longingly. But truth is, yes I've missed being able to go away and enjoy the sunshine on a whim, or go home and catch up with friends and family, but really I've barely noticed what I've missed out on because it feels like last week that I started, not ten whole weeks ago.

My team were fantastic. From the moment I was introduced to my colleagues I knew that I was being introduced as the newest member of the team, not as some intern who'd be tagging along for the next few months. Our area was hot-desked meaning you would have to move around and sit with different people basically every day, and every person I interacted with was warm and friendly.

At no point during my internship did I feel lost or worried: in the first week I was introduced to all the members of my team who would be able to provide support if I needed it, meaning that even when my line manager was away or busy I always knew I had someone to turn to. My line manager himself was great- I really can't sing his praises enough. He was really supportive through my first few weeks when I was finding my feet, but also gave me a lot of responsibility which made me feel really valued. During my internship I had a bit of a tough week personally, and he was nothing but supportive and caring throughout.

Unsurprisingly my days definitely varied. On average, I'd say I had the perfect balance of work, however there are always going to be days when there's a big deadline and you can't help but work on overdrive. My final week for example has been leading up to a really important deadline for my team, and I've found myself rushed off my feet. However, this pressure is entirely self-inflicted, and I know if my team knew how busy I was they would tell me to let-off and not to worry about getting so much done. Overall though, the way my projects were structured meant that I self-regulated how much work I had, and so in theory I should never have been too bored or too busy..!

The way my projects worked meant that I had a fair amount of responsibility but nothing too daunting or stressful. The work I have produced will directly feed into the biggest project my team has this year which will then affect a lot of what the business does in 2015- something that really excites me. One of my other projects started off as a small admin thing and eventually grew into something that is being used by several teams now- I asked if I could expand the project as such and was fully supported in my independence.

I don't think there's a single thing that I've learned over the past ten weeks that isn't in some way transferable. Whether it's learning the nuances of professional etiquette, or how to adapt to a brand new work environment, or work specific skills (for me relating to marketing), or even just learning what it's like to work within such an enormous business. I started my internship with a completely irrational phobia of talking to people I don't know on the phone- I'd always get my housemates to order takeaway, or spend 20 minutes building up the courage to phone and book a dentist appointment. Once you work within a business as big as LBG, you soon realise that the 'meeting' you have scheduled for 13.00 isn't in a room, but at your desk with a headset and a conference call number to dial. Needless to say I'm now pretty well versed at chatting over the phone with complete strangers, not to mention that I actually started taking the initiative to call people rather than email.

My office was super friendly. After the first few weeks everyone started to recognise me and say hi if I passed them in the canteen or the corridors. We had a tuck shop in one of the filing cabinets that colleagues would flock to around 15.00 every day. It was just a really pleasant working environment.

The organisation of the placement itself was very well organised. The only hiccups related to a lack of clear communication regarding things like claiming back expenses (in my experience my line manager wasn't told that the process for me would be different to the process for regular colleagues), or the systems for taking holiday.

I was lucky enough to attend two immersion days with two of the agencies that LBG works with alongside just one other colleague in my team. I felt that my line manager was really keen that I get the chance to learn as much as possible during my internship, and that he cared about what I got out of it at the end.

I am as of yet undecided, but only because I don't know if I want to work for such a large company. I will be completing another internship with LBG next summer however so we'll see how I feel then..!

My fellow interns and I formed a fairly tight-knit group as there were only 20something of us, and we had a really great time. The social scene with my colleagues was also good- the social committee organise drinks on a regular basis and often organise other events such as going to the theatre or for food.

Bristol is a mid-range cost area in my opinion. It's very easy to live well and socialise and save the pennies, but equally if you want to splash your wages it's very easy to do so.

As a student in Bristol already I knew the nightlife well and it's (in my opinion at least) freaking awesome.

As previously mentioned my colleagues organised a few out-of-work activities such as the theatre, but to be honest beyond working and going out in the evenings I didn't really have any energy to do a great deal more.