International Treasury Intern Review

Similar to any job, there were some days I thoroughly enjoyed and some days I didn't, depending on the workload and deadlines. However, all things considered, there is not much I would change about my work placement experience. I really enjoyed working for The Body Shop and was sad to leave.

My colleagues were very welcoming and I was well integrated into the team. They really contributed to my happiness, well-being and to an overall positive experience at work. I was touched to have received a presentation and gifts at the end of my placement. This made me feel truly valued as an employee.

My manager gave me as much support and guidance as I could have expected throughout my placement. We met for an hour a week to discuss my tasks/the team/any concerns I might have. This worked very well in boosting my morale and helping me to keep up to date with my workload and any developments in the team. Towards the end of my placement, however, it proved difficult to find the time to do this due to his/my heavy workload.

I was not particularly busy at the beginning of my placement. However, as I progressed throughout the year and I was gradually given more responsibility, my workload massively increased. Towards the end of my placement, my workload was almost too difficult to manage, making prioritising tasks crucial. However, this was largely due to the transition that was occurring in the company at the time, as The Body Shop was being sold to Natura.

I was pleased with the amount of responsibility I was given during my placement, particularly during the last three months. This is due to a resignation in my team. My contract was extended so I could cover her role and I was also given the responsibility to train her replacement before I left. It became clear to me throughout the year that the more effort and enthusiasm you put into your work, the more recognised you become in your team, which results in more responsibility. Therefore, your experience during your placement is largely down to the way you approach it and shape it to how you would like it to be.

I developed many useful skills this year that I will utilise in my future education/career. For example, routine and time management skills will prove particularly useful in my last year at university. As a business management student, I only had 11 hours of contact time a week. This made getting used to 9-5 quite difficult at the start of my placement. I'm sure I will carry this routine on to university. Furthermore, I have developed a much greater understanding of business and how it works 'in the real world'. I expect I will approach my studies from a much different and more advanced perspective than I have done previously, as my understanding of business was largely derived from books and the media. The only criticism I would have of my placement was that I was allocated to one team within the finance department and I was not given much opportunity to get involved with other teams. Therefore, the knowledge and technical expertise that I developed was limited to this specific area of finance.

The atmosphere in the office was very serious and quiet. It often reminded me of the library at university. However, I think this was largely due to the business situation, with The Body Shop being sold. This meant that many teams in the finance department were occupied with preparing for the sale, so keeping up with day-to-day business was more difficult and stressful. This did not create the best environment.

The overall work placement was very well organised. On my first day, I was given a booklet that outlined my daily/monthly tasks and I was trained by the previous intern I was replacing. I also completed 6 month and end of placement final review with my manager/HR in which I discussed my progress and areas of development.

The cost of living was surprising quite high in Littlehampton due to the fact there were not many available houses that would accept big groups, and the ones that did charged extremely high rent for what they were worth. The cost of socialising was not particularly expensive. Pub prices in that area are reasonable, and the cost of trains to Brighton/Portsmouth are cheap as well.

The Nightlife in Littlehampton is poor, however there are many nice locations nearby. Luckily, my housemate had a car, so getting there was easy. My favourite locations were Arundel, Chichester, Worthing and Brighton. Worthing was great for nights out, as taxis back weren't too expensive. An uber back from Brighton wasn’t too costly either, when split between a group.