Customer Marketing Exectutive Intern Review

I really enjoyed my work placement with Pernod Ricard. As soon as I arrived I felt welcomed by everyone in the company. I gained invaluable experiences, was exposed to a great deal of the sales and marketing function and was able to develop the knowledge I had learnt as part of my Business and Management degree.

As soon as I arrived I was welcomed into my team. I was immediately given a great deal of responsibility and was soon left to communicate with suppliers and agencies alone. I enjoyed spending time with my team and was invited to some fun company events. I was praised for good work and encouraged throughout my placement.

I met with my immediate manager regularly. I was given a list of tasks to complete and felt I could always ask for help. The other members of my time were also happy to guide me when necessary.

This varied. Some days were extremely busy but on the whole work load was very manageable- there were occasions when I was looking for extra work but this really depended on the demands placed on my team as a whole and where I was able to help.

I was given a great deal of responsibility right from the outset. I was able to see the real impact that my role and actions were having on our customers. I took charge of managing the trade adverts across all customers, large and small, from briefing the creative and sending the final artwork to the customer. I was part of large customer activation projects and felt that I really was able to contribute to the project.

I was able to put the academic knowledge I gained throughout my degree into practice during my internship. It was interesting to see marketing theories learnt, applied in real life business. I not only gained marketing experience, I was able to work closely with a variety of departments within the business such as Operations and Sales. I gained a real commercial insight and truly believe that the skills I have gained throughout my internship will stand me in good stead for my future career in marketing.

Convivial - as soon as I arrived I was welcomed and felt at home. This was reflected in the relaxed atmosphere. Everyone was friendly and more than happy to help. The offices are great- modern, spacious and the break-out area with the bar was a brilliant place to socialise and meet colleagues.

There was a very structured induction programme. I quickly gained an understanding of all the departments at Pernod Ricard. I was also taken on a day out on trade where I was shown all the supermarkets and how Pernod Ricard activate there. The induction day itself was very fun and a highlight of the placement. Organisation after the induction was mainly led by my line manager who would meat with my to discus what tasks I should complete.

I felt that I was treated as a permanent employee at Pernod Ricard. I was encouraged to attend all company training days as well as departmental training days both off and on site. I learnt a lot including law training, digital training, sales training and personality testing and even bar training, all of which proved useful throughout my internship.

There are lots of exciting opportunities within Pernod Ricard both nationally and internationally. PR would be a great place to begin your career and there seems to be lots of opportunities to do so. I would be very attracted to continuing on with Pernod Ricard whether within my current role or another.

All the interns got on exceptionally well. Lunch times were a great time for socialising and there were occasions were we went out for a drink after work together- the facilities near the office are fantastic- a couple of really great restaurants/bars. Company days out were a great way to socialise with fellow colleagues- of course, being part of the alcohol industry, the team knows the best spots to socialise in London!

Being in London, cost of living and socialising is in line with what one would expect! I commuted in to begin with but soon felt that living closer would enable me to really immerse myself in the experience and this is something that, although increased my cost of living was something that really helped me enjoy my experience more.

Being out of Central London, the nightlife wasn't huge in the area we worked. WE are however only a short tube ride away from the city centre so very accessible and feasible for a night out. There are nice pubs in the area, especially on the local high street.

Pernod Ricard really promotes a healthy lifestyle. Pernod Ricard ran Pilates classes during lunch time where a qualified trainer would come in to run the session from our office. There were other activities employees could get involved in especially in the warmer months- a company football team that played weekly, competing in the business park tournaments.