Commercial Intern Review

On one hand, I was glad to see that the objectives I worked on carried real weight and had an impact on the function I worked at. We also had introductory meetings organised by the graduates, where we got to meet experts in different functions, so we had a good top-level view of how the company works. On the other hand, the company is quite bureaucratic which slows down projects and policy introductions significantly.

The work I did was relevant to my team, and my colleagues appreciated the help with their projects. They took time to explain me what their processes were in detail, which helped me understand where I could assist with their projects. All in all, I felt valued and supported by my colleagues.

I joined the team in a busy period, and had very little contact with my manager – maybe 4 or 5 meetings in total over the 10 weeks – and I would have valued their feedback about my projects to evaluate my progress, especially after the 5 week line. My project coordinators were very helpful and took the time to sit down with me to go over their expectations and the details of the project.

I was very busy, and had very tight deadlines to meet. I often came in earlier and left later than the interns in other functions, and sometimes did work at home after office hours. I do believe that the interns are expected to do much more than the 10 week constraint allows for.

I was given a lot of responsibility, and the ability to take ownership of my projects. My colleagues trusted the results of my models and analyses. I was managing my objectives on my own, which sometimes meant that delayed meetings would hinder my progress significantly. However, I felt that I could communicate any issues I had to my project coordinators, which helped a lot with the pressure of the responsibility of managing these objectives. All in all, I was given the opportunity to take full responsibility of my work which was a fresh change of air compared to my previous internships.

The work I did was very relevant to my course, the analytic tools and statistic models I built were a good opportunity apply textbook knowledge onto real-life projects. The wide variety of objectives I did in different functions during my internship also helped me get a clearer view of what career I want to pursue after graduation.

The business function I worked in had seasoned workers, besides the 3 interns most people have been in the company for quite a few years. While some people were critical of the way the function was heading and raised points about the bureaucracy, the general atmosphere was encouraging and motivating.

It was well structured, I had introductory sessions to different functions of Commercial and there were specific intern events throughout the term of the internships. We were assisted by our project coordinators, our managers, our buddies (graduates) and intern coordinators, so overall I feel that the internship was very well structured.

There were several training courses that were accessible on the online learning environment that helped to familiarize with the general structure of the company. There were also opportunities to take part in meetings and classes that cultivated a more specific understanding of the supply chain structure and products the company is developing. There weren’t many opportunities aside from the 1-on-1 feedback sessions at the end of the internship that focused on personal development.

The interns were accommodated in the Derby University Halls, which were moderately expensive (there was no housing support from the company). The cost of living in Derby is low compared to other regions, and Nottingham was 30mins away by bus which was a great place for social events. However, there is clearly a divide between interns and local residents, and there weren’t many opportunities in the city that interns were able to take part in.

Derby nightlife is quite dull.

There were opportunities to get involved through the Apprentice and Graduate Association, however most of these were clearly targeted towards people working there for at least a year. Most 10-week interns organised activities among ourselves and the subsidized gym membership or other mixed sports sessions weren’t available for interns either.