Commercial Intern Review

I've really enjoyed my placement at L'Oreal, and would highly recommend applying for one here. I've been given some great opportunities throughout my year, and have learnt so much. The people are all really lovely and I've been able to do some really interesting pieces of work, putting my degree to good use. It's an amazing way to get work experience whilst still at university, and L'Oreal has been a a great place to do this.

From day one I've always felt like a valued member of my team, even though throughout my time here there have been quite a few changes to it, everyone is always very welcoming and really kind. It did take a while to feel that I was really adding value to the team, by doing some more complex pieces of work, but they were all very understanding that it takes a few weeks to first get to grips with everything.

I had weekly catch-ups with my manager and always felt comfortable asking her questions if I was ever stuck or unsure on a task. Most of the time interns are placed next to their managers, which really helps, as they're right there if you have any questions. We would also have longer meetings such as mid year and end of year reviews, where we would talk more about my performance, which really helped, as I knew where my strengths and weaknesses were, and knew how to improve in future.

I generally always had things to do, at the beginning of my internship I had a smaller workload, but as I got more confident and more efficient with tasks, I was able to take on a variety od different tasks. Due to the nature of my work, there were times in the year that were busier than others, so it's important to be good at prioritising tasks, but my manager was always aware of how much work I had, and so was conscious not to give me too much.

At first during handover, I was given quite a lot of admin, which needs to be done regularly. It is quite a large responsibility, in that, there ere deadlines to meet every so often, but I never felt it was too much. Throughout my time, my responsibilities increased with me taking on different projects, and managing different tasks myself. I think this was managed really well from L'Oreal, as I was able to take on more things as I got more confident.

During my year here, I've learnt many software skills and been able to receive training on certain different programmes we use regularly. I've also been able to work on a variety of other skills which will definitely help me in my future career. Being able to use my university skills in a different setting, and taking a break from it really makes me eager and ready for returning.

The general atmosphere is a friendly one, but it can change very much day-to day. Everyone is very willing to help, but there can be days when certain teams are really busy, or are working at home. I was very lucky to be situated in the largest division in L'Oreal, which meant it was always busy and some of the team were always round.

At first it felt that that it wasn't overly well set-up as I was reporting to a manager who wasn't too aware of the work I was doing, however I changed managers after 6 months. Apart from this, and since the beginning I think it's been very well organised, I've always known what I was doing and where I was meant to be, so I cant have hoped for much more.

There wasn't really a large amount of personal training and development on offer for the interns. We did have to complete certain HR training throughout our time here however, on things such as 'Public Speaking' etc, but I felt that there could potentially have been more available than simply online videos.

L'Oreal offers a graduate scheme, which you can apply for during your time here. The scheme itself is a great opportunity for further employment, and in the scheme you complete three rotations around the business. The scheme can be very competitive as only a few interns are given it, however it is very appealing to apply.

We were lucky enough to have a great social sec for the interns here at work, she organised many events throughout our year, which was really great. I think the social scene for the interns is very dependant on this social sec and how much they themselves want to do, so if you want to ensure you have a great social life at work, it may be worth running for the position.

Due to being on placement, I was in fact living back at home in North East London. I did this mainly because the cost of living is really high. It's great to be working in London, but that does come with the downside of the expensive prices of living and socialising. Our social sec tried to organise more night out on week days which was great as it definitely made it much cheaper.

The nightlife in the area we worked was really good, being in London, there is always lots going on, and you are never too far away from pubs, clubs and bars. I really enjoyed my team, and we went on a few 'team nights out' during my time here, which were a great way to socialise with them in a non-work environment.

There are quite a few opportunities for activities, for example they have yoga in the office on a weekly basis, and for the interns there was a variety of sporting activities that were available. Quite a large amount of employees are members of local gyms and often spend time there during lunch hours. I think the facilities are there, its very much up to the individual on the activities they want to do.