Information Innovation Intern Review

The projects I worked on were so interesting and very different from each other. Being a part of the team also felt really great, and the environment is so friendly and welcoming. It was also great to feel like part of CRUK and not just a temporary intern e.g. going to CRUK staff workshops.

The team I worked with were so kind and friendly. They welcomed me really well into the team and I felt like all the work I was putting in was being valued - especially when I got recognition for a bit of research or an idea or product.

I had a manager for each project that I worked on - total of 2. Every week I had separate one-to-one sessions with them to go over my progress in the work I was doing and also for general well-being. if I needed help with an issue, or piece of work I could easily send an email or give them a phone call if they weren't around to quickly ask.

This varied week to week. Some days I would be extremely busy and would have lots to do by a certain time. For the most part, the amount of tasks I had were not impossible to do in a day, and with the use of agile project management and the support within the team, I was almost always able to complete all my tasks. A variety of tasks each day also kept things interesting so it didn't feel like "another boring day".

At first I wasn't given much - one of my big responsibilities was the weekly newsletter for the team. After i spoke to my managers about this, I was given more project management tasks for one of the projects. it was great to see they were able to take on my feedback and provide tasks for me to do.

I was able to learn more about the differences between good project management style against bad. It was also useful to learn how to use agile project management and how to develop content for the project I was working on. In terms of beyond, it definitely gave me an insight into public health. I don't necessarily think I have widened my skill set as such, but I have definitely enhanced them.

The general atmosphere in the office is extremely friendly. Everyone is really nice, and it is quite a chilled atmosphere. Despite being in an office, there isn't a need to wear really formal clothes. I would say smart/casual. At times it can get quite noisy, especially in some areas in the office, and it can get quite hot and stuffy (best to wear fewer layers). Overall I'd describe the atmosphere like being in a library at university with a bunch of your friends.

My internship was set up so for me to come in three days a week. One 2 of those days i would work on one project and on the final day on a different project. This was helpful for me to manage my time - so I could get particular tasks done by the end of the day as I knew I wasn't going to be working on it the next.

There were intern workshops in CVs and cover letter, LinkedIn and on interview techniques. These will be really helpful for when leaving CRUK. As part of the internship there was also a personal development pack given to me. This was designed for me to set goals and objectives and discuss with my manager on how I could achieve them. By talking to my managers they gave me more varied tasks that coincided with my own personal development goals.

From most people that I have met within CRUK, the majority have been CRUK interns. It seems working here before is favoured when applying to jobs. Personally i haven't applied to the much within the organisation but i do plan to.

Every week the interns would go out for a social. It was really great to get to know all the other interns. This also happened because of intern fundraising events that we were able to plan, organise and set up. among the team i worked in, we had a few team lunches, to talk about other things besides work. it was a great way to get to know each other more.

The cost of food around the Angel Building (zone 1) is around the standard for the Central London £3-5 for lunch. There is a local Sainsbury's, M&S, Pret, Costa and Starbucks which is really handy. It was also great that my travel and lunch expenses were reimbursed.