Marketing Intern Review

Really enjoyed my placement year with BMW, this was heavily down to the people around me and the support they gave me. I had a great team and was in an department that i found interesting and exciting. Going from university to a full time job is always going to feel hard at times but the effort and time you put in definitely pays off.

The value that i felt from my colleagues exceeded all of my expectations. They treat you like a full time member of the team and always say that they forget that we are an interns. With areas such as social media marketing, we are seen as the experts and to have marketing managers come and ask your opinions on projects really does make you feel valued.

I felt very lucky that whatever support and guidance i needed there would always be someone willing to help. The company has had an intern scheme for many years now so they understand the requirements and support that we need, especially at the start of the internship. I'm sure levels of support alters depending on managers and your team but it is a very friendly and open culture.

Some times in the year you are busier than others but this all depends on seasonality and projects that are happening. I felt that i had a good balance and never felt that i didn't have anything to do. If you feel like you do not have enough to do there are plenty or extra curricular and charity opportunities to get involved with to fill your time.

When i started at BMW my manager left after 2 months and i didn't get a new one for a further 2 months. Although daunting at the time this gave me a great opportunity to take on more responsibility and to be given exposure to higher level meetings which i previously would not have been involved in.

I have learnt a huge range of skills and competences over my year with BMW and it has developed me in both a personal and professional way. The contacts, knowledge and experience i have developed are skills that i would have never have learnt at university as they have to be developed in a practical environment.

The atmosphere in the office was very positive. We are lucky to have new open plan offices with hot desking so you are constantly talking to and meeting new people. Flexible working is encouraged so i can occasionally work from home and the hours i work are completely up to me as long as i am reaching my set amount.

I arrived to all my IT equipment and accounts set up so i was ready to start the job on day 1. We had a HR intern amongst our intake which was very useful if ever we had any queries to do with our role or pay. We had regular lunches with the MC and opportunities to give feedback throughout the year.

I have completed a number of qualifications and training courses this year and have been able to visit a number of agencies and partners for overviews or taster days to expand my knowledge. I have also been able to work at a number of events after establishing this as something that i was interested in.

Due to the lack of graduate scheme and entry level roles for my function within BMW the chances of returning are quite slim. The company is great to work for and therefore positions do not arise very often. I will definitely keep in touch and would like to return in the future and it is an option if a role occurs within the team once i graduate.

Because i lived with fellow interns we enjoyed a good social life and got on very well. As a whole group we did meet up occasionally which was nice but this is always hard to organise when there is so many of you living in different areas. All social gatherings were arranged by the interns rather than the company itself.

Rent seems expensive here to me seeing as i was previously a student in Leeds which is much cheaper.

We are a half an hour train from London so that is an option but trains so do not run late enough for a night out. Reading is a 30 min drive.

There was charity opportunities but not many sport or social activities.