Commercial Intern Review

My role mainly involved sales reporting for the whole brand team and working closely with the internal teams e.g. supply chain and marketing teams and external retailers to support the national account managers in managing their retailer accounts. I mainly worked on the Boots account, tracking and analysing sales, managing any admin work to support new launches and promotions, doing ad-hoc data analysis/sales forecasting and making sure the commercial and brand activation strategies are successfully executed in the retailers.

The past year has really pushed me to learn new skills such as excel skills, and develop a range of existing skills - most notably my presentation skills. The constant opportunity to present to senior and external stakeholders has allowed me to feel more comfortable and confident when presenting. Naturally I've also significantly enhanced my organisation and problem solving skills over the course of my internship, as well as my analytical skills.

Yes, I was given real responsibilities and tasks from day one and I could immediately feel that I can make a real difference during my internship. This was very rewarding and really made me feel valued however it also meant that if I make a mistake there were real consequences. During my year, I was given the responsibility to lead several projects and I soon grew to be a key point of contact where people came to me to ask for help.

I had weekly 1-2-1s with my line manager and she was more than happy to give support if I asked for it. I was also given regular feedbacks and advices to guide me through the year.

Everyone is very welcoming, friendly and highly supportive. L'Oreal has a strong team-orientated culture and they definitely respect you as a peer rather than looking down on you. At the same time, I felt as though it's a very work hard play hard atmosphere so it can turn into a high pressure environment at times.

I really enjoyed my time at L'Oreal - although more than half of the placement was virtual I was able to bond with the team and fellow interns, not to mention how I developed massively both personally and professionally during the past year. The fast paced environment and the work load was stressful at times but it was truly rewarding to know that I can make a real impact. I would love to go back as a Commercial Management Trainee!

Yes

Make sure you do your research e.g. on the brand, division, innovations in the market and align with the company's mission statement and key initiatives. But most importantly, remember to be yourself!