Public Affairs Intern Review

by Cancer Research UK

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.1/5
  • The Role
    3.9
  • The Company
    2.8
  • The Culture
    2.1

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I was able to work on varied projects across teams other than the one that I was in and was given the opportunity to really own the projects i took on. I really appreciated how I was made to feel like areal employee, enjoying the same benefits as the other employees such as discounts on the nearby gym and restaurants.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I felt like the team listened to me and my recommendations for projects. I was asked by my manager to help organise a new project management system. But, I think because they have regular interns coming and going they didn't seem very keen to bond with me as they knew I wouldn't be there for very long.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My manger was very helpful in organising projects on areas I was interested in and on ensuring that I met my personal development goals. My manager also gave me lots of 'life advice' about going for interviews and how to manage my money once i'd secured a job, which was very kind.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • At the start of the internship wasn't very busy at all, but as the team started to see what I was and wasn't able to do i got a LOT more work. By the end of the internship I had more work than i could really do, because i wasn't on a full time contract.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was given a huge amount of responsibility from probably the second week. I had personal projects that i owned and many of these involved representing my team and Cancer Research UK to external stakeholders. I successfully manged my own workflow and reported into my manager just once a week.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • The internship and the skills that i've learnt have already been worthwhile as they got me an interview and a job at another organisation. I believe that these skills will continue to provide the foundation for my career in the charity sector. I've also learnt a lot about how a large organisation works in general which i think has been very useful.

    3/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • My floor of the office was quite quiet and people generally kept to themselves during working hours (other than lunch). This didn't really bother me, but it wasn't particular;y conducive to forming relationships and i found that i had to put a lot of effort in to see people at lunch etc.

    2/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • Generally speaking the internship was well organised, with workshops throughout that the cohort attended. However, i found it difficult that my internship wasn't the full five days a week. This made it hard to interact with the other interns and staff would assume that i was there for the full five days and ask me to do a lot more work than i had capacity for.

    4/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • The organisation provided some workshops that i was able to attend (and which were quite helpful) such as an interviews workshop. I think they could invest a little more, but as the assumption is that you won't stay on after the internship it is difficult for them to do this.

    3/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Subsidised Canteen

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    3/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • I would be very happy to return to CRUK in the future, but for now i don't think that there is teh right position for me to apply for.

    3/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • the other interns were very nice but as we were all over the departments we didn't all interact that much.

    3/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • The cost of living was extremely expensive.

    1/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • NA

    3/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There were a few social gatherings in my team, but there were maybe only three trips to the pub in the three months i was there. there isn't a drinking culture at all (which is fine!) but they could do with a few more social activities! there wasn't a welcome to the team lunch or drinks.

    3/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

London

December 2019


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