This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
Working for WarnerMedia was a great experience. There was never a day that I didn't want to go into work, and I always came away having enjoyed the day. Working for such a globally renowned company was a privilege and a brilliant learning experience that will hopefully lead to a good role in the future.
Within every area of the company that I interacted with, people were always friendly and kind and eager to help. People, especially those in my immediate team, treated me as an equal member of the group rather than as just an intern. I was surprised by how much access and input they actually let me have to key meetings and projects, and felt that my suggestions and work were always valued the same as anyone else's.
Due to the structure of my team, I was lucky to have a supportive group of managers, as well as my immediate line manager, who were all so welcoming and friendly. We had regular progress meetings to check on my development as an intern, and regular catch-ups. Moving to working from home didn't change this as we scheduled catch-up calls and always stay in contact via Slack and WhatsApp.
The workload at first was overwhelming, but once I got into a routine it became second-nature to me. Some weeks were a lot busier than others, but it balanced out, and my team were always there if I needed to offload anything. That being said, there was still plenty of time form connections with people and to chat with colleagues.
In the third week of my placement, I'd been handed a lot of my responsibility as my line manager went on leave for three weeks. This was a challenge, but was also the perfect introduction to the role and really built my confidence. From then on, I wasn't daunted by anything else.
As an intern, I was allowed to try so many things and learn from different people. I would always ask my manager to introduce me to new people, and then learn about their roles. I was also able to shadow different people and try out roles that were not specifically mine because of my status as an intern. This was extremely beneficial because it showed me other similar, and more different, roles that I hadn't considered might be a good fit for me, and gave me practical experience of trying these roles if I wanted to apply for one in the future.
The Company
During my internship, the company moved to a new headquarters. The old building was always fun, in a central location, and a nice place to work, but floors were very separate from each other. In the new office, the more open-plan design meant I was seeing many more people and new faces and this created an even greater sense of togetherness and a positive atmosphere.
I was the first intern that my team had received using the central WarnerMedia intern scheme. The scheme provided me with a lot more support and structure than previous interns who had been hired on an individual basis. The intern scheme had great programmes and initiatives to help the interns get the most of our experience.
About halfway through my placement, my team were allowed to sign up for the training courses they wanted to do in the new year. I assumed I would be excluded from this as an intern, however I was allowed to also choose training courses and attend ones that were chosen by others in my team too.
Subsidised/Company Gym
Company Parties/Events
Working from home
Healthcare/Dental
I'd love to stay working for CNN. It's a global brand that is so important, especially at the minute. The fact that everyone I've worked with has also been so supportive and friendly also makes staying in the role more appealing. My placement has been a great taster of what working for the company long-term would be like.
The Culture
Right from the first day, we were encouraged to attend work events together as an intern group, and also meet with each other's wider teams to make more connections in the company. We all supported each other. We also had a WhatsApp group and would frequently arrange intern drinks and nights out. The main benefit of the group was letting each other know whenever there was free stuff being given out on a different floor!
London is clearly super expensive, especially working around Soho/Oxford Circus. But there were ways to save money, and the company had discounts at a lot of local restaurants.
Central London/Soho is always an amazing night out. The office location was such a bonus. Even after the move, working right near Shoreditch/Hoxton/the City gave us plenty of new bars to explore.
The company provides volunteering days that can be used to help at many different opportunities. There were also frequent events/nights out/team building sessions both in and out of work time. So enjoyable. The first few months were non-stop - I'd leave for work at 7:30, and not be getting back until 1/2 in the morning following a work social.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
London
June 2020