Commercial Summer Intern Review

Three weeks of the internship were virtual and involved participating in a series of workshops with PepsiCo's key departments (e.g. marketing, e-commerce, sales). The other three weeks were spent out in the field. One week shadowing a traditional trade SDR in supermarkets, one week shadowing an organised trade SDR in convenience stores and one week selling crisps to pubs and cafes in London.

I improved my presentation skills over the course of the internship as we were often tasked with presenting our ideas in the various workshops we undertook. We also had to do a Dragons Den style pitch for a new product to a selection of senior figures within the business at the end of the internship. I also improved my problem-solving skills as we were forced to think on our feet a lot.

The internship was more of an educational/insightful one. We didn't undertake too much hands-on work that actually impacted the business. The only time we did was during the Pipers Crisps field week when we had to convince pubs and cafes to buy the crisps which was a challenging but incredibly enjoyable experience.

Everyone at PepsiCo is so helpful and friendly and I cannot stress this enough! We had three people leading the internship who were available 24/7 to offer support and answer questions and each intern is also given a buddy (an employee on the grad scheme) and a mentor (a more senior employee within the company). This gives a great opportunity to network and receive support.

The general atmosphere was amazing. Every person I met was friendly and welcoming but also incredibly hard working. What stood out to me was that employees at PepsiCo are always willing to go the extra mile to support their colleagues. The workplace is also very understanding and places a big emphasis on making sure that everyone is happy and enjoying their work.

I loved my internship at PepsiCo. All the employees were brilliant with the interns and my fellow interns were all great as well. Despite the internship being impacted by Covid, we were afforded socializing opportunities to get to know our colleagues better which increased my enjoyment of the internship. I also learnt a great deal about how PepsiCo operate and what their current challenges are which was fascinating.

Yes

Be personable in the assessment stages! When I was offered a place they told me that they liked how personable I was on the assessment day. And then during the internship make sure you get outside your comfort zone. Try to connect with as many people in the business as possible as they are all willing to speak with you and offer help/advice.