Unilever Finance Summer Placement Review

I really enjoyed my summer internship, I was given real responsibility from the get-go and was always helped whenever I needed it. It was a great environment to work in, and it was really nice to have other fellow students/interns to catch up with during the day. The job was very enjoyable, and it was really great to see real outcomes from my projects.

I very valued by my colleagues. As soon as I arrived, I was introduced to my whole team and everybody was very welcoming. My colleagues showed me around the office, taught me the basics that I would need to set up my computer, and I really felt like I was a valued member of the team.

My line manager was extremely helpful. She encouraged me to try and get on with my work as much as possible, to try and find the solutions myself, however I knew she was always there when I got stuck and had questions. I felt extremely supported and I knew that whenever I had a problem that my manager would help me to find the solution.

This varied depending on what projects I had on the go. Some days were extremely busy, with lots of work to try and finish for a meeting, or to meet deadlines, whilst other days were a bit less busy with a bit of lull in the workload.

I was given lots of responsibility for my own project, and I really felt like I was able to dig deep and learn a lot about my particular project.

I was given lots of basic training in the first 2 weeks, which proved to be extremely useful for the job that I was completing. The excel skills that I developed will be useful for life, and will assist me not only in my degree but also in the future.

The office had a really good atmosphere, everyone was extremely friendly and it was definitely a good working environment. There were lots of perks in the office as well, such as free ice cream and a free gym, which definitely contributed to the overall positive environment.

Very well organised, a facebook group was set up before the start to give us information and to connect with other interns. Once I had arrived, I was allocated a line manager who gave me my work. It was all very well organised from start to finish, and I was always aware of the next step in the internship.

I do think the firm invested in my personal development, especially in terms of teaching me skills which I may then be able to use elsewhere.

Very appealing. The UFLP graduate scheme run by Unilever seems to be extremely well run. The graduates that I spoke to themselves were having a fantastic time and did not have a bad word to say about it. The company is great and the opportunities for development within the organisation seem very good.

Yes. There were about 60/70 interns in total (including both summer and year-long industrial placement students). We were all introduced at the 2 day induction event which was great fun and a nice introduction to the company. I made lots of friends through other interns and we spent quite a lot of our free time together.

Based in Leatherhead, the majority of placement students lived in London where the cost of living and socialising is quite high.

Again, London nightlife is very good, however it is expensive to go out.

My function specifically held a few out of work activities, such as a quiz and a boat party, however I am aware that different functions hold weekly sporting activities amongst other things.