Industrial Placement Student- Legal, Global Business Integrity Review

On a day-today basis, I was involved in assisting and leading risk management process that I first learnt about and then used my knowledge of relevant policies and regulations to mitigate risks relating to third parties. I also worked on a risk assessment tool that was used to gain insights into the potential and present risks to business operations within the countries that Unilever has operations in. Regularly, I performed many due diligence tasks to ensure compliance.

A main skills I learnt and enhanced in my placement were attention to detail, collaboration and application in regard to putting legal principles and policies into practical ways of working. The global nature of Unilever also provides you with the ability to see how different way of working differs between countries but also how that is still cohesive in an overall global sense. Networking in Unilever has also been a skill that has been developed.

Yes, I was able to take control and have ownership over processes when I displayed confidence in being able to explain it to other colleagues outside of legal, and provided deliverables in the form of advising and meeting deadlines. I think the responsibilities given were balanced enough to ensure I was learning as well as applying what I learnt, There was always room to switch around my responsibilities based on my interests and strengths. This flexibility allowed me to curate my placement to how I wanted it to be and keep it relevant throughout the year.

Unilever as a whole is very supportive but even within the Business Integrity team, the support and guidance within the team has been great. The collaborative nature of the team has meant that I was always able to ask questions to whoever I felt would be better suited within the UK based team and globally. The line manger I had was always just a Teams message away so I never felt like any query I had wouldn't be answered or I couldn't approach anyone to get answered. The attitude towards supporting me as an IP was collectively amazing. There are mentorship programmes and the Future Careers team also provided great support for general Placement enquiries and also setting up advice sessions on thing like personal development and maximising your LinkedIn page.

Unilever's company in general is very open. Within business integrity specifically, everyone has been easy to get to know and work alongside with. There are obviously hierarchies within the company, but not in a way that feels intimidating or makes colleagues unapproachable at all. Purpose led individuals are very important to Unilever's values and it shows within people's work. There were social events that ( although many were disrupted by COVID) were set up and have allowed me to get to know other placement student and even some UFLP's and Apprentices. There were opportunities to volunteer in terms of outreach and onboarding the new placement students through the Development team that Placement student are encouraged to join, use to upskill and just add to the overall placement experience. Company wide, events were also available on holidays and even like IWD.

I really enjoyed my placement as it exceeded my expectations. For most law students, taking a year long placement is rare especially for it to actually coincide with legal work. I have been able to gain insight into a career in compliance and also what it is like to be in-house counsel. I couldn't have asked for a better company, and team to have spent my year in industry. I have learnt things that I know will be invaluable in regards to my career prospects and also what I want to achieve in my career. After I have qualified and gained more experience in private practise, the FMCG industry and in-house counselling at Unilever or a similar company, would definitely be something I would love to get into thanks to the work experience I have gained at Unilever. I do wish that I had even more of an opportunity to work in other teams within Legal as part of my placement programme rather than on a ad hoc basis.

Yes

Be open to learning, be purpose driven, really understand the FMCG industry and your motivations for applying and make sure they align with you and your career aspirations. Always be open to networking and get involved with Unilever stands you see at University career stalls, outreach etc. Make sure your personality shines through as well!