Marketing Executive Intern Review

Applying for a placement at Pernod Ricard was one of the best decisions I've ever made - both for my career and personal development. There wasn't one day where I didn't want to come in (which I think is a common issue in the working world), and I am grateful to everyone who made my experience so special. I would recommend this placement to anyone and everyone.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues throughout. I think interns go into a placement with the fear that we wiill be looked down on or treated as such (based on others' stories), but everyone in my department and the wider company treated me as a normal employee and I really appreciated that. I believe if you reach out to everyone and show you want to learn, they will respect that and value you.

The guidance and support I received from my manager and immediate brand team was the highlight of my placement. Although I wanted to be as independent in my tasks as I could, they always encouraged me to ask for help when needed, even if I thought it was a trivial question. When I was going through a difficult time at home, my manager was incredibly understanding and allowed me to adopt the company's flexible working policy, which meant I could continue with my placement. Plus, there wasn't a day when I didn't laugh.

Because I was working on one of our priority brands, the workload was good. There was projects and campaigns throughout the year, and my team would bring me into most meetings so I could learn as much as possible. I was always encouraged to share my ideas and thoughts. I also worked across the portfolio of brands when others in the department needed help setting up/admin. Although there were times when I didn't have a constant flow of work, this was to be expected and it meant I could read around the industry, think laterally and come up with my own ideas - which my manager supported.

I was given much more responsibility than I ever thought I would get, and this was once again down to the wonderful team I had. I was able to go to incredible events, videoshoots, and company events. As time went on, my manager gave me more projects to contribute to and by the end I had run an internal campaign. I was also in charge of various administrative tasks throughout the year.

I chose to do a placement in a field unrelated to my degree, but I will still take many skills back to my final year at university - mainly time-management, discipline and a strong mindset. More importantly, I have had exposure to all departments in a huge company and I have built up a network of contacts I hope I can stay in touch with beyond my degree. I now have a much better understanding of where I want to go after I finish my degree, and I have a lot more to talk about in future interviews.

The atmosphere in the office was another highlight of the placement. The office operates a hot desking policy, meaning you tend to sit next to different people in your department every day. This meant I could get to know everyone much more quickly. The office has a lot of internal events for product launches and conferences, meaning the social side of the office is very good.

The overall placement was organised very well - from being given a company laptop to being inducted around the office. When I first got to the office, I was told my manager had changed, but this was dealt with perfectly and I felt welcome and part of the new team from Day 1. There were 8 other placement students, and we were all treated like normal employees - included in all events and company days.

I felt the firm invested in me heavily - I was able to go on a brand trip to Sweden, I attended all big events, and I was invited to important training sessions regarding the latest developments in marketing. The company had mindfulness sessions, weekly fitness classes, and annual trips, all of which we were encouraged to participate in.

The immediate 'grad' role of the company is in business development and therefore doesn't fit into what I hope to do after university. Having said that, past interns on the programme have come back to the company in their similar roles, so the prospects appear to be strong for those who have undertaken the placement scheme.

There were 9 interns in total, and we all got on very well. We organised dinners/drinks throughout the year, ate lunches together, and attended events. Most interns lived nearby the office, which made organising social events much easier. In general, I feel very lucky to have been in the same group as this year's interns.

The cost of living in Chiswick is relatively high, which made finding affordable accommodation nearby a bit of a struggle. The food options on the business park are limited in terms of price, so it was much better to bring in our own food from home. Accommodation was definitely where most of my salary went, but it was worth it to live closer to the office.

Chiswick is a residential area so there aren't many options for clubs/bars. Having said that, there are a lot of nice restaurants (including the usual chains) on the high street. Because of the industry, the company organised amazing events throughout the year, which meant we didn't have to rely on the options in Chiswick.

There were weekly exercise classes, as well as mindfulness sessions. I had the opportunity to go to many different events throughout the year, mostly linked to working on the brand. We had an annual team corporate social responsibility day where we went to Brighton and various other locations to carry out a beach clean.