Marketing Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at L'Oreal. I was given a great deal of responsibility in my role and gained experience in a wide variety of areas. In addition to this, there is a great intern network to socialise with and out-of-work activities were very regular. There are often social events which are set up for your to enjoy and get involved with - I even go to attend a graffiti lesson!

I definitely felt that within my role my contribution was valued and my point of view was considered by my managers and other colleagues . I was often asked for my opinion on various projects. I certainly got the impression that the interns' contribution towards the brands they worked on is valued and appreciated.

Both of my managers had been through the grad scheme process at L'Oreal so understood the position I was in as an intern. I felt that I was supported well throughout the process, however it is expected that you learn very quickly whilst on the job as this is a requirement of such a fast-paced organisation.

Everyone at L'Oreal is very busy, and the interns are no exception. However this is part of the culture there and hard work is always rewarded. There are some periods where the work-load can become very high, however this can only be expected in such an organisation. It can be very rewarding to be able to work hard and be given responsibility on a number of projects and see it pay off.

I felt I was given a great deal of responsibility in my role, however I did work on some of the smaller brands within the business. I was able to manage projects myself, contribute ideas and regularly present in meetings. This gave me invaluable experience which has now vastly enhanced my CV.

My experience at L'Oreal has benefited me greatly now I am back at University in my final year. It has sparked inspiration for my dissertation, helped me to understand theories discussed in a more practical environment and given me insight into different functions within the wider business. In addition to this, my CV is now a lot more interesting and I am able to give more examples of my abilities in interviews.

There was a general 'family' atmosphere in my office department, however I had heard that this changed depending on what division you were placed in. Everyone was very friendly and willing to help and offer advice, we often socialised outside of work with team nights out such as bowling and karaoke. Hard work was always rewarded and there was a general culture of 'work hard, play hard'.

The placement in general was very well set up, there were group general inductions, intern mixing events and a handover week with the intern you will be replacing. However, I would have liked more time with my intern to handover and also more time with the intern I handed over to. They do not offer much support in terms of housing/accommodation at L'Oreal like they do at other companies, however being in located in West London with good transport links, I did not find finding a house too much of an issue. They also integrate formal review and progress reports which is very useful.

There are formal reviews set up throughout the placement to help with personal development. In addition to this we had an out-of-office day to investigate our management and learning style to help understand how we work and how to work better with certain types of people - this was very interesting.

Yes, the interns will regularly socialise with each other. As well as this I had the opportunity to socialise with my office team outside of work quite regularly. There is also a free bar for the whole office once a month which is sponsored by one of the brands - this is a great opportunity to meet new people and socailise with your colleagues.

Quite expensive - but the salary is based on London living. I didn't find it too unreasonable but London can be expensive, especially for travel. However this will be the same for any internship based in London. Socialising can be expensive but you can also find cheaper bars/happy hours. At times team socialising events (dinner, drinks etc.) were all expenses paid which is very generous!