Supporter Engagement and Thanking Intern Review

Although it wasn't in an area that perfectly fitted my skills and experience the placement was fun and interesting and I learned a lot.

My colleagues seemed really happy with the work I did and made it clear I was doing something positive for the team, They were really friendly and great to work with but also helped me develop my skills.

My manager was very supportive and provided both guidance and help in working on my project and general skills.

I worked between the regional Oxford office and London. Whilst in Oxford the pace was slightly slower than I am used to and I wasn't massively busy. When in London the days were more hectic going to different meetings. Overall, though not what I expected, I wouldn't have changed the work pattern as it allowed me the energy to do other things over the summer.

I planned and executed my own project, guided by my manager. Although most decisions went through him I felt that I had the responsibility of coming up with new ideas and then implementing them, which I thought was really good.

Although I have finished my degree I think the skills I have gained will be really useful in the next step which is looking for a job and future careers. It also gave me the confidence in my ideas and capabilities that I need.

The atmosphere was friendly and hardworking. Because it was partially a call centre there wasn't much chatter between colleagues but I forged a good supportive friendship with the people around me.

Overall the internship was very well set up and run. The coordinator was on top of things and easy to reach if you needed help, and the managers seemed to know what was expected of them and the things that needed to happen over the weeks i was there. There were also special skills workshops put on for interns which brought the cohort together and were really useful.

My manager was really keen to understand the areas I wanted to practise and develop in and then provide the opportunity for me to do that. For instance, I knew I needed to work on presentation, and I was encouraged to give two big presentations to senior management during my time, which both went really well.

I am really encouraged to apply to Cancer Research UK in the future and probably will. They seemed keen to have me back and I think with the skills from this internship and good experience I have a better chance.

There were frequent pub trips with the other interns in London, however because I was working in the Oxford office I was not around for these. When I did go to London there was a good group of interns that would all head for lunch together and they were always really welcoming so i could join them for a catch up.

I had lived in Oxford previously so was aware of the expenses. It is not the cheapest place to live but luckily I was subletting a house from my friend who had been privately renting in the area. Therefore it was not too expensive during the internship.