Summer Intern Review

I very much enjoyed my three months spent with Unilever. It was a very enjoyable experience to have the opportunity to undertake an internship with one of the biggest companies on the globe and it really did not disappoint! It was a really good learning experience and it was a honour to meet the people that I did.

Throughout my time spent at Unilever, I was made to feel very valued by my supervisor, colleagues and fellow team members. My role included managing several high profile projects and for this, the senior management team recognised my efforts. This recognition demonstrated that the team valued my work and dedication to the projects.

I really appreciated the support given to me by my line manage and team members, who were always on hand to provide help and guidance. I was given enough autonomy to lead on my projects, however, I always knew that I had the help and support of my colleagues if I needed it.

This did vary throughout the internship, however, most days I had a good balance of having things to do, but not being too busy. At the beginning of the placement, when I was still getting used to the various systems, I had less work to do, but this soon picked up as I became more confident in my role.

I was given a good level of responsibility throughout my placement at Unilever and in fact I was a lot more responsibility than I ever expected. This really gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities and what I could do, learning lots of project management skills a long the way.

I developed a variety of different skills throughout my placement, which will certainly benefit me in the future. I grew in immensely in confidence, as well as developed my communication and analytical skills as well as my overall professionalism. All the skills that I learnt are easily transferable to any future job or career path that I choose to take.

During my time at Unilever, I found there to be a good general atmosphere in the office. Being based in the global headquarters in London, I found it an exciting and fast-paced environment to be in. There were some quieter days, due to the summer holidays, but there was always someone to chat to and socialise with!

I found the placement to be very well organised. There was a slight delay in getting our IT systems set up and running, however, I think this type of thing is to be expected! On day 1, I was assigned a buddy, a supervisor and a contact manager, who we could approach in different circumstances.

It was very evident just how much the company invested in our personal development and training. Our first couple of days at Unilever consisted of training sessions. This was very useful. Throughout the placement, we had numerous talks and presentations aimed at our personal development. Again, I found these sessions very beneficial.

Future employment prospects at Unilever are really great, with this placement being a direct route onto the graduate programme. The company heavily invests in its graduates and there are many perks working for the company. At the end of the placement, there is a final interview to determine whether you get a place on the graduate programme.

Yes, there was a really good social scene amongst other placement student and colleagues.

I was based in London, however, I was able to live at home and I was paid a generous salary to the cost of living was good.

Being based in Central London, the nightlife is really great!

Yes, there are plenty of opportunities for employees to get involved in activities outside of work!