Finance Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my internship, doing year in industry has been the best career decision i have ever made, and the benefits of working for L'Oreal are incredible- For example access to employee discounts and the ability to work from home.

I feel incredibly valued by my colleagues- especially within my specific team. They made me feel welcome from the moment i started and now feel like I am part of a little family. I have never been made to feel like 'just an intern' here at L'Oreal.

I did not feel as though I had adequate training upon starting, and had more support and guidance from other colleagues than from my manager. However, as i got to know my manager more, i received more support. Also, when i'm covering a colleague, my manager often checks to see that I am doing okay.

When i first started, I was not very busy with day-to-day tasks, however there were lots of e-modules available to go through. I have gotten busier and busier as the months have continued since i have had a project to complete on top of my normal work. This is also the case when i am covering a colleague.

I was pleasantly surprised with the level of responsibility I was given right from the beginning. It was a little scary, since I was responsible for such a huge company, however it has really helped to develop my personal and professional skill-set.

My role at L'Oreal is very different to what i was learning at university, however the fault lies more in the education system itself. I believe that this experience has given me skills that are very relevant to my future career. For example, I have learned a great deal in terms of ICT software (Microsoft excel and SAP). It has also given me incredible networking opportunities.

It was mainly individual work and everyone was always very busy, however my manager took a little time out on less busy days to have an informal chat with the team. Since the job is an office job, there is obviously a limit to how fun the atmosphere can be.

I wasn't sure what my exact role would be before starting, and since the handover from the previous intern was only 4.5 days long, i felt like I was not trained enough to begin with (especially since interns have little/no similar work experience before starting). It was very much a learn-on-the-job method of training, but maybe this is the best way for this particular role. My colleague was always happy to answer any questions.

There was always enough work to be done, and e-modules provided additional training and development. Also, there were a few team building events which also helped to develop personal skills.

I would definitely work for this company after i graduate and have my grad scheme presentation next month- hopefully all goes well!

The majority of my colleagues were a lot older than me, and aside from a couple of meals we had together, there wasn't a great deal of social events available.

Very cheap to live and work around Llantrisant (especially in comparison to the London Office)

I had never been out around where i worked- in fact i wasn't aware of any clubs (only pubs). However, i lived in Cardiff which is a 30min drive from work and the nightlife is decent.

Not really. I was part of the wellbeing committee, so we took turns to go out and get fruit for the employees, however this was done in our own break times. Also, L'Oreal usually hold a citizens day but with all the huge projects that our office have been involved with, most people said that they were too busy which was a shame. However, there are plans to turn one of the empty rooms into a wellbeing room which is exciting- although this will probably only be in place after i finish my placement.