Commercial Review

I have enjoyed my placement a lot, it has been challenging, and i have never seen the bottom of my to do list. However the fast paced environment makes the days and weeks blur. There are many different types of people working in each division and each team, meaning you are bound to find someone you get a long with. Your role may not suit you, but if you get on with people it makes it so much better

The feeling of value definitely increases as time goes on. Realistically for the first 6 months you are just finding your feet, understanding processes and tasks. The more experience you have the more work and responsibility you will be given. Therefore leading to a feeling of being valued. Your manager has a lot to do with this to. In my case my manager took time out to plan tasks which will aid in my development which lead to increased confidence and a feeling of being valued.

My manager especially has been very supportive. She understood that i was an Intern and that i would need guidance especially in the early days. She wouldn't just give me admin tasks to keep me busy, she would find tasks which would give me more experience. For example when she was stretched i took on some of her retailer account management responsibilities. Her trusting me, gave me confidence in myself, which is important as it is all so new, a lot of the time you are not sure what is correct and what is not.

I was very busy every day. There has never been a moment where i have had nothing to do. This I feel is very typical of L'Oreal. Personally i would prefer to be busy than not to be. Most of my time here I would start at 9 and finish around 5:30. However some periods of time i would finish as late 6:30-7, but late finishes are rare. The company encourage you to work smart, meaning working from home or hours to suit you. As long as the work is done, no one minds what hours you do.

In the early days i was not given loads. You have to earn responsibility, and it takes time for people to trust your ability. However there are always chances to earn trust. In the second half of my placement I asked for more exposure and responsibility to further my own knowledge and i was given it through new tasks which i really enjoyed. How much you are given depends on your desire, colleagues trust in you, and your ability.

Massively, I have learnt more in this year than I will in my whole degree. Communication in the work place, time management, organisation, prioritisation are all skills learnt/perfected on the job rather than in a classroom. I cannot recommend enough a year in industry. There are also lots of other skills i will have learnt without even realising.