Retail Executive Assistant Review

I really enjoy the work in Unilever, you are started and given tasks at a pace and which you are free to control. The more you want from the placement the more you can get. If you sit idle you will not learn or experience the full range of the business.

From early on within the placement I was given the ability to share my opinion with my team and actively take part real tasks and jobs. My manager has been excellent she pushed me from day one and has been essential aspect to my fast development so far. Putting me forward for extra training courses.

Even though it is an extremely busy work place both my manager and other people within my team managed to spare time with me for various 1 to 1 meetings and share their experiences and skills with me. For me personally I was not taken by the hand which I loved, you feel a sense of responsibility to learn what you don't already know, and the opportunities to do so really do exist,

The first month or two were a little slow, which initially I thought was a massive oversight and that i thought were potentially wasted, I have soon learned that this time at the start i used for my own learning about the company and to really take in what is going around you. A corporate organisation can be difficult to get your head around.

I have been given pieces of work that I am the owner of people in the team come to me to ask for certain pieces of information, and ask me to complete solo tasks

Unilever has an extensive learning and development department, with many areas in the business providing extra training and help for all colleagues, even interns can apply to various further training from language lessons to process improvement methodologies.

The office is great, very modern, large open social spaces. You can have important meetings in rather informal places. Smart casual dress code so you feel comfortable in your own skin in work. Lots of events and activities made available from the start.

As said previously the first month seemed rather slow, but useful if the company would have set up some more learning about the organisation.

There is always lots of different training events so you get a wide choice of what to get involved in.

You have to reapply to the graduate scheme, lots of emphasis put on the fact that if you dont put the effort in during your placement you may not be eligible, but the fact that you get direct entry to assessment center for grad application, gives you a higher chance.

Yeah, if you turned up in the canteen you were bound to find one of them and even if not there was always someone you could find to sit with. Outside of work there was always something going on too

Average cost of living, nights out cost more down south.

Had to go to central London or Windsor for a decent night out not much going on in Slough, however a shorter commute was better for work.

Yes, there was different sport activities but also giving back to the community opportunities too, so always something for everyone.