Project management internship Review

I have really enjoyed my internship here at Cancer Research UK. My colleagues and other staff have been so supportive and friendly throughout, I really felt welcomed into the office. I have had many opportunities to try new things, get involved with different teams and learn new skills. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started, however this job has been so much greater than I could have hoped for. I'm sad I have to leave.

From the start I was welcomed into the team and I was treated as if I had been there for months. Everyone was really friendly and supportive. The team are really good at giving helpful feedback and praise so I felt like the work I was doing was useful.

I had weekly 1-2-1 meetings with my manager to talk through any problems I may have had and what tasks I would be doing. I also had 3 more in-depth meetings with her to review my work and discuss how I could improve my skills and get the most out of this experience. If I ever had any questions she was always there to help.

I had set tasks to complete weekly which kept me fairly busy. I also had a longer term project that extended over a few weeks. However, there were times I felt as though I had too little work. In these cases I would ask my manager for other jobs or help do some work for other members of the team.

I had a fair amount of responsibility and was allowed to work independently (although there was support when I needed it). I would say it was the right amount of responsibility, given I had never worked in this environment before and had limited experience.

I have learned many transferable skills that will help me in a wide range of jobs after I graduate. I also got the chance to work with a range of people with different backgrounds for more specific training and experiences. It was good to have an internship that applied the science I learned in my degree in real-life. I have a greater appreciation for the subject now.

The atmosphere was great. The office was calm with a cheerful feel to it. The staff were friendly and approachable all of the time which made it a positive environment to be in. The office design itself had a nice open, plan layout and was clean and modern. Everyone seemed happy to be there.

It was very well organised. All of the interns across the building were carefully coordinated, and we had a whole day of induction which gave us an insight into the charity and allowed us to meet with each other. We also had to complete reviews on how everything was going and give the feedback to our intern coordinator. Within my team, the internship was well set up. I had individual introduction meetings with everyone in the team and was then given a structured plan of the jobs I would need to do. There was nothing I can identify as unorganised.

There were a range of workshops that you could take part in e.g. CV workshop. There were a number of online training courses that you could get access to and complete in your own time. At the start we were given a development plan for us to go through over the 12 weeks which helped us to identify the skills we wished to work on and put in place measures to ensure we could improve them. My manager gave time to help me progress and give advice in our weekly meetings.

They are very appealing. I have been advised to apply for the graduate scheme and other jobs here after I graduate. This is definitely an organisation I would like to work for in the future. I would definitely be able to develop my skills and career a lot here, and there is a great number of opportunities for personal development. Although I have not secured a job (I am still an undergraduate so would not necessarily have expected to) I feel like I could approach them and ask if they know of any opportunities that I would be right to apply for after university.

The interns had their own facebook group and an email distribution list. Many groups organised meals out and drinks (even on our first day we went for a drink nearby). There was also an intern competition for fundraising which helped to engage everyone in bake sales, a DNA art trail and other intern-led events. Everyone seemed to get on really well and made the effort to get involved with all of these.

Fortunately I could live at home and commute. I know some people found the cost of living expensive here if they were unable to live at their main home. London generally has a high cost for most things. Our lunch and travel expenses were reimbursed (within reason) however socialising outside of work was not cheap in the local area. As the internship was unpaid, it was hard to afford nights out.

I never went out at night in the area. I know there are lots of pubs and bars around Angel and I have heard good things about some of them. Central London is easy to get to and has loads of things to do. It was generally expensive (e.g. around £4-5 for a pint) so I could not do as much as I had hoped.

Yeah the interns organised a good number of activities for fundraising and socialising. The organisation also had away days for teams and did some of their own events. There are things like yoga and sports massages to get involved with. My team had monthly socials to get everyone together for a drink. I think there were enough activities to take part in.