Category Development Executuive Review

From the beginning of my placement, Pernod Ricard was a welcoming and friendly environment I felt part of the team almost immediately. I was given my own responsibilities and the freedom to complete my assigned tasks in my own way. I was able to get involved in a variety of activities in all channels, and I really did gain some great experiences and knowledge throughout. As Category Development intern I was given the opportunity to work with different departments and use different data systems that I will be able to use in future careers.

I felt very valued by my colleagues as they would give me help and advice when needed and also a lot of positive feedback. The main part of my job was to produce and distribute reports both internally and externally. I would regularly receive feedback, this was generally positive but my colleagues would also ask any questions they may have. This made me feel valued by my colleagues as it showed that they had taken the time to look at the reports that I have completed. They also involved me in decision making and I was also able to attend team meetings and contributed ideas that would benefit the team as a whole.

My Line Manager was very supportive throughout my placement. If I had any problems or questions he would sit down with me and explain, in order to ensure I understood fully. He advised me on a subject for my University diploma dissertation and was regularly giving me things to do in order to ensure I was getting the most out of my placement. The team I was a part of really got me involved and if I ever needed any help they were always on hand to assist me, I was regularly given new tasks and my responsibilities within the team grew as my placement went on.

I always had things to do throughout my placement. I had my regular reports that I had to update monthly, these would take time to complete prior to distribution. In addition, I was given extra responsibilities, I was the day to day contact for our main data provider and was given tasks from different members of the company. The increase in work load gave me more confidence and I was completing my tasks quicker and was able to complete more complicated requests and jobs. I enjoyed being busy and it made my placement more interesting and having variety in my work made me get a lot more out of it.

I was given a lot of responsibility. Despite being an intern I was treated as full time member of staff. I was given my own jobs to do and given the independence to them as I thought was best. My main responsibility was to complete a massive report, that gets distributed to most of the company. I was also able to be involved in a convenience shop project, which allowed to me to go along to a few different stores around the country and completely re-do the wines and spirits fixtures. I was also invited to the PRUK Customer Development meeting at the Google Offices.

I believe that the skills I have developed at Pernod Ricard UK will assist me in my degree. I am a lot more determined to do well and want to achieve the best results I can. My time management skills have improved greatly and I am able to manage my work load much better which is going to be vital in my final year at university. Even though I was proficient in Microsoft packages these skills have improved greatly which will really help with my degree in terms of completing work. I also believe that my experience at PRUK will put me in good stead when applying for graduate jobs. I can also use experiences that I have had here as business examples when necessary in exams and coursework. My placement has given me skills and experiences that will not only help me in my degree but also in future careers.

The atmosphere was fast paced and full of life. There was always something going on whether it was a new brand released or birthday celebrations. Everyone had to eat their lunch upstairs, this meant you got to meet new people and have lunch with people that you wouldn't work with on a day to day basis. Everyone is very friendly and will always say hello, including the MD who would regularly be walking around the office chatting to everyone.

My overall placement was extremely organised from day one. I had two week change over period with the previous intern in order to be able to understand the role and what is expected of me throughout the year. I was then given a document that explained to me fully what reports I was expected to complete. I was given my responsibilities by my line manager at the beginning and was always given new jobs as the placement went on. I was treated as a full member of staff and was given my own responsibilities that really made me feel part of the team.

We had regular training and development sessions. In my company induction we were taught about the company from all departments, given bar training and was given the opportunity to do wine tasting in order to understand our brands. I was also involved in law and fraud training which were a compulsory part of my placement. I was also given the opportunity to take part in the Insights into Communication Workshop, where I was able to find out my 'colours' these showed me the way I worked based on a questionnaire I had completed prior to the workshop. The company really do invest in you in order to ensure you get the most of the placement and give you many opportunities for personal development.

The company does have a graduate scheme where you begin as a Accounts Development Executive, and you are then given the opportunity to work your way up in the company if you perform to the right standard. Its a lot of independent working, however it is in a team of graduates and you will have the benefits of a work phone, ipad and car. Brands also have graduate programmes so there are many opportunities after university.

There was great social scene both with the placement students and colleagues. The placement students all got along really well and would go out together. We were also invited to many company events and had the opportunity to go to different venues and occasions. We were invited to team meetings and were able to go events such as London Cocktail Week.

I lived at home during my placement so I did not have to pay for living. Work events were regularly expensed, so this meant the overall cost was not expensive over the year.

The placement is based in Chiswick park, there a few places to go out and the Chiswick area was a really lively place for socialising. It was also just a train ride away from central London where there were many places to go out whether it was for dinner or drinks.

There is a running club and football teams. You can also take part in fitness classes, such as pilates and yoga. There also lunchtime and evening events that you can get involved with.