Cancer Research UK intern (BMF) Review

by Cancer Research UK

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.1/5
  • The Role
    4.7
  • The Company
    4.2
  • The Culture
    3.3

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • It was amazing. I had such a great time with my team, really enjoyed the work and felt like I've really developed over these past 12 weeks.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • Very valued. I wasn't given 'typical' intern tasks such as photo-copying and fetching coffee; within my first week I was approaching businesses asking them to donate. My team were also always really encouraging and have always thank me for my contribution and time here.

    5/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • I was always able to ask questions - never felt like I was really being a inconvenience. I was also given the freedom to make my own decisions as well - I didn't have to run everything through my manager which was great as it made me feel trusted with the responsibility. Alongside this, I was also really supported development wise, and my manager has been really encouraging about skill building as well as job applications etc.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • Obviously it comes in waves, but I always had something to do. My internship was events based and had two events I was aiding with in the 9th and 10th week of my internship respectively. So at the beginning I had more time to think creatively and brainstorm about prize ideas and research possible business to connect with whereas in the week of the events I was running around quite a lot doing lots of little but important tasks like creating prize vouchers or coordinating volunteers.

    5/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I fair amount of responsibility I'd say. I managed relationships with businesses entirely by myself and was given the free rein to do so. I would say it was a good balance as my responsibilities built up over time with my confidence - I wasn't given so much responsibility that I was really worried I was going to mess everything up but enough that I felt I had a bar to raise myself to and further.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I have already finished my degree but this internship definitely built upon it. My degree was very theoretical so while I knew I had the potential to fulfil several skills important to employers I had no proof. This has given me the opportunity to showcase what I can do and has even shown myself that I actually have real world skills.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • CRUK has the best office environment. It's very high energy and vibrant as well as being possibly the most friendly place I have ever been. It sounds like an exaggeration but I honestly haven't met an unfriendly person here. It's also a very collaborative environment, different teams are always asking each other for thoughts and advice - there is a real sense of achieving goals all together across the whole charity, rather than an individual achieving career goals.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • Very organised. We had 2,6 and 12 (end of placement) reviews with our managers, as well as weekly 1:1's. We also had induction days, leaving days etc. I was also told by my manager exactly what I would be working on from the beginning, including percentages of my time it should take - so I always knew exactly what I should be doing and working towards, and exactly what my end goals should be.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • There were special intern training days, such as CV and interview skills, dragons den type competitions etc which were a fantastic opportunity to hone skills. My manager was also fantastic at checking in with me and helping me build skills that I wanted to and helping my personal development.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Company Parties/Events

    Travel loan

    3/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • I would love to stay if I could! I'll be checking all the jobs in the upcoming months to see if I can return. I would even keep volunteering indefinitely if I was able to but I live outside of London and my commute costs too much. I wouldn't say there were an awful lot of opportunities for entry position jobs here but I think that's due to it being a charity and the fact jobs are rarely created, instead positions are only available when someone leaves a position.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • I think so, there were drinks every Thursday, and many intern-y events but unfortunately I wasn't able to participate. My commute too and from London every day took 2 and a half hours, so staying late meant not getting back until the late evening and I had to be up at 5 to leave for work the next day - so not too much socialising for me!

    3/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • As it was London it was quite expensive but that is entirely expected, and there are always cheap places to find.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Angel is a very exciting area and the few times I was able to get out and socialise I enjoyed the various bars/pubs we went to.

    3/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • I've volunteered for a couple of events, collected money for Stand up to Cancer at Liverpool Street Station and could have done so much more if I was based in London but as I'm not that somewhat limited what I was able to do. I received at least a couple of emails a week with opportunities, it was just a shame I was unable to due to the restrictions from my commute.

    5/5

    Report this review

Details

Internship (1 Month+)

London

December 2015


View More Reviews