Marketing Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year at L’Oreal due to working amongst such warm and welcoming people. I worked within the Professional Products Division (PPD) and therefore had the opportunity to not only gain insight into both B2C & B2B relationships. I did not award this placement a 10/10 due to the following: PPD as a division I feel is slightly less structured and organised than other divisions and therefore this can lead to some last minute challenges that cause you to have to problem solve in very time pressured situations, which can ultimately be very stressful. However I would not let this put you off a placement year at L’Oreal as it is in these moments of heavy pressure that you have the greatest opportunity to excel. I also feel like the more complex the challenge, the more rewarded you feel at the end.

From the onset your colleagues my team was extremely friendly and were happy to help no matter how trivial the question seemed. I feel that I had good working relationships with people from all teams on the floor and even felt valued by senior management. They were keen to listen to my opinions and aslong as you have put thought and effort into your opinions then the team support you in implementing them.

Throughout the course of the placement year I developed a great relationship with my manager in both a professional and personal sense. I felt comfortable discussing external issues with my manager that may affect my performance at work slightly as she was always willing to listen and empathetic. In a professional context – my manager was a senior group product manager and therefore was often very busy and had little time for regular catch ups. However I did not feel neglected as I felt that if I needed her I could approach her and she would offer me clear and concise advice/ guidance. Over the duration of the placement she came to trust me, my opinions and my capibilities more and more and was quite happy to leave me unattended to cary out projects. Despite her not being hands on, I felt that she complimented me often and gave me constructive guidance when necessary.

I found that my days were always busy and I did often worked beyond the hours originally specified in order to complete work, get ahead of work, or help other candidates. However the variety of jobs that you come across in your role always make your days exciting and the time flies. I can honestly say I have never felt bored at L’Oreal.

You are really thrown in the deep end and even though this is initially quite daunting, it is a fantastic opportunity to manage large complex projects that are financially important for the brand. By the end of the placement I was able to manage projects, and even certain channels of the business almost completely independently with minimal intervention from my manager.

I learnt something new every day of my placement year not only in a professional context but I also developed a lot personally – in terms of my confidence. However in a professional context – I spent 2/3rds of my placement managing the marketing support of my brands top accounts. During this time I gained invaluable insight into what it really takes to run a business. I worked closely with these accounts to foster both growth of my brand and theirs. Starting with brainstorming with clients in order to come up with creative yet commercial ideas that would drive their business forward. You learn a great deal about differing processes and teams when you bring the ideas to fruition, by working with different departments e.g. Supply Chain and Finance. Despite having a more artistic upbringing, this year has really taught me the importance of being close to the numbers at all times. Whether that be being hyper-aware of your budget or effectively tracking ROI after any marketing support you offer.

The general atmosphere was positive and light-heartened.

I feel like L'Oreal invest a lot in their interns as they offer numerous training sessions throughout the course of the year. I have partaken in marketing, digital, legal, scientific and finance training sessions and these have offered great insight into how the different departments operate and how the processes work.

I would love a job with L'Oreal as the rotations on the graduate scheme allow for great opportunity to gain insight into other divisions and brands. I am proud of what I have achieved this year and I will definitely be applying for the graduate scheme. I would be very happy to receive a job offer from L'Oreal at the end of June.

Yes everyone seemed to get on really well and I mainly socialised with interns outside of work this year also.

Fulham - housing is expensive. Socialising is as expensive as you want it to be.

In Hammersmith the nightlife is pretty non existent - however there are a few nice bars/ pubs near that people gather in for socialising after work. However Hammersmith is only a couple of miles from central London and good nightlife is easily accessible.

During my placement year the intern committee organised many socials. There was also the opportunity to be involved in sports teams if the demand is there. I also had the opportunity to attend events/ charity days that were hosted by the clients I worked with.