Research Intern Review

I enjoyed my work placement to a significant extent. The company feels like a family and I was made to feel very welcome from day 1. The staff are friendly and the work culture is positive. Employees are praised for their successes and made to feel cared about. The social events were enjoyable and enabled me to meet colleagues from a variety of departments. I also appreciated the number of opportunities that I was given such as training at BARB and the visit to Sky.

I felt valued by my colleagues for sure. My managers checked in to find out how I was doing, Open Blend sessions enabled me to talk to my line manager about things I enjoyed, things I was unsure about and objectives to work on. This helped me to professionally develop. Employees asked how I was getting on and there was very much an open door policy with all members of staff. My birthday was recognised and I was given a card with a lot of nice birthday wishes on!

I was given support and guidance to a large extent. My line manager checked up on me weekly in catch up meetings, Open Blend sessions were set for me to participate in using two-way conversations and if I ever needed help with a challenge then the support was always on offer. I felt the faith was put into me and this enabled me to perform well. I wanted to repay that faith and do the best that I could.

I was busy but not overworked. It was a good balance. There was always something for me to work on. As part of the Insights & Analytics team, I prepared PowerPoint decks for upcoming project group and strategy meetings, I presented to other departments, participated in discussions and completed many ad-hoc requests in a timely manner. I also sent out a variety of documents to the wider company via email. If I ever felt that I was overworked, I could raise this in an Open Blend session.

I was given a lot of responsibility during my placement. I represented the Insights and Analytics team in strategy and project group meetings on a fortnightly basis and so I needed to give a good impression. This was a tremendous opportunity and enabled me to improve my presentation skills. I was also responsible in sending out company-wide emails and so if I made a mistake, I needed to solve the issue independently. Therefore, you're really able to step up to the working world and bridge the gap from a lack of experience.

The skills I developed and training I received will definitely assist me in my degree studies and beyond. I learnt so much more than I could comprehend going into the placement at the start. I was able to develop my time management skills, ability to present, organisational skills and interpersonal skills. In relation to my degree, I realize the importance of engaging with peers and tutors to develop my learning and help others. I've also learnt to take on coursework at the earliest opportunity just as you would when dealing with a work query.

There was a really great atmosphere in the office. Positive, bubbly and friendly staff. There were social events on a weekly basis whereby staff could chat, play games and have fun! There was a pool table too which was quite popular. There's definitely a work hard, play hard atmosphere and I think that is the best atmosphere an organisation can have. Staff are professional and meetings are well organised and so employees know what is going on all throughout the company.

The work placement was extremely well organised. My line manager created a work schedule based on my university course and so since I am enrolled on a marketing course, I had a meeting with a marketer at the company. I also met a variety of staff members from multiple departments so that I could increase my understanding of how the television industry works. By building relations from day 1, it enables you to settle in straight away and I thought this was perfect. There was also a team building day set up as well as training.

The firm invested a lot of time in me for personal development, driven by the Open Blend sessions. This was a very unique experience which not a lot of firms participate in. These 1 hour long sessions enabled me to plan things to work on to improve professionally. There would be follow-up sessions to see how I was getting on. This shows that the company believes in their staff and wants them to succeed. I also received BARB training, visited Sky and I also received cyber security training from the IT department.

Since the organisation is much smaller than larger companies, there are less placement students in the office. I had 3 other colleagues who were also placement students but this is definitely a positive since you can form stronger connections with one another. I had a lot of laughs on the social scene and also there are a lot of young professionals at the company who share the same way of thinking. I had a very rewarding experience.

I lived at my parents home so was lucky enough not to be paying rent. Since the company is based in London, cost of living will inevitably be higher than other parts of the country since it's the capital. Pubs and eateries can be expensive but equally there are plenty of places around that charge affordable prices. The company offers a fair wage for a placement in my opinion and so it should cover the cost of living whilst giving you money to have fun with and contribute to savings.

There is a good nightlife in Hammersmith. There are plenty of pubs, one which does karaoke and one with a beer garden. There is a cocktail bar near the office too. Since it's London, you can easily commute to other parts to attend clubs, theatres, cinemas, you name it! London is one of the most vibrant cities in the country and so you will never run out of things to do. The Apollo is just round the corner from the office too so you can book to see a comedy performance or live music.

There were a number of societies at the company including a choir and an arts and crafts society. There was yoga too. If you ever wanted to set up a society you could. People were up for trying new things. There was a comedy night in which professional comics came in and delivered some very funny stand up performances and one of the company's own also performed and did very well too. So there's plenty to get involved in. The opportunities are there.