Supply Chain Intern Review

I am so very glad I applied to Illumina! Each day at the internship was a pleasure and I felt hugely welcomed challenged during my employment. My colleagues were fantastic, friendly and proactive in their efforts to ensure I was sufficient challenged and professionally developed despite only a short internship.

My colleagues were hugely welcoming and friendly from day one. I felt able to ask any questions at any time and every time my colleagues would happily provide all the help they were able. Each member of my department dedicated some of their own time to ensure I was informed of their role and how it fit within the department and the impact on the company as a whole. I was hugely grateful for this as I learnt so much within just a few days.

My supervisor and managers were all inspiring and outstanding mentors. They consistently ensured I was sufficiently challenged and enjoying my work whilst also offering their time to me for help whether this be a quick question or a longer meeting. Having never worked within this role or industry before this was a huge comfort and reassurance that support was never too much to ask for.

Day to day I was given a range of task that included both routine admin in support of other members of staff to larger projects that involved senior members of staff and multiple company departments. I found that I always had work to do and some to work toward. This only began to slow in my final week after I had completed my final projects and reports.

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to present paramount new Supply Chain initiatives and goals to enhance interdepartmental collaboration and in turn introduce new and more efficient tools and methodologies to improve the supply chain and future work. I felt so lucky to be able to present this work to senior directors and their teams in addition to the Vice President of the Global Supply Chain of my work. I found this incredible considering I was only working as a 3 month intern.

As I study a business management degree this internship granted me huge insight into how a product based company functions on a daily basis and the impact supply chain has upon the company as a whole. Further to this I was exposed to many other departments such as Legal and R&D which gave me invaluable experience. This not only gave me a head start compared to my fellow students at university but developed my presentation skills, communication and experience in use of new technology that many students usually achieve on a year long placement.

The atmosphere was pleasant and hugely friendly. I felt I was able to approach almost anyone with a question and they would happily take time to talk to me and take an interest in my work with Illumina. The office was open plan with general areas of seating so you had the opportunity to network with a huge range of people with diverse and interesting backgrounds.

Despite the short term of my internship being 3 months, any and all training I wished for I was given. My managers were fantastic in ensuring that all opportunities that were available were proposed to me and that I was developed as much as possible during my time with the company.

Illumina made special efforts to encourage social activity and relationships amongst the interns. From the outset we we introduced to each other and quickly spent much of our time during lunch breaks and outside of work with one another. As some of the interns were on 3 month internships and others were year long placements on the final day of the 3 month interns were had a lovely gathering to celebrate our time and still remain in contact today.

Cambridge is slightly on the expensive side with some cheaper options regarding accommodation however this is mainly outside the city which required a little travel however getting to work was easy as there is a large amount of car parking and also a company bus that can be used as travel from the centre that is subsidised.

There were huge amounts of activity available outside of work. Cambridge is famous for punting which staff often partook in. Illumina also paid for a social intern event at a really fun escape room plus dinner which was one of the best experiences I have had. This is in addition to social clubs, the subsidised gym membership with classes and everything Cambridge had to offer too.