Science Funding (Communications) Intern/ Grand Challenge Intern Review

by Cancer Research UK

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.3/5
  • The Role
    4.0
  • The Company
    3.5
  • The Culture
    1.9

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • My placement was enjoyable. The team were friendly and helpful and looked out for development opportunities. Each day was different. As in any job there were some parts which were not so enjoyable, but tasks which needed completion to move the project forward.

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • Upon reviews of my progress it was clear to see that my work has an impact on the project. I was given responsibility increasingly throughout my placement as I gained more experience and trust. I feel comfortable asking my team any questions about my work.

    4/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • Weekly catch ups with my manager to track my progress and check in if my tasks were on track and if there were any opportunities I was missing to fulfil my aims of my placement. The opportunity of having a mentor gave a fresh perspective and accountability of my progress.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • Very busy, involvement in different areas across my team meant I had to juggle many tasks.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • Due to the scale of my project I wasn't solely responsible for a particular aspect. However in my allocated tasks I had responsibility over many external stakeholder relationships and tracking progress of plans and composition of written copy.

    4/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • It will help me increase my employability as I have examples of when I have demonstrated different skills and had the opportunity to receive feedback in order to develop some key office skills. Which are essential to many jobs and further studying

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • The office was a friendly environment and other colleagues would always be happy to help and chat. Moving around the office with hot desking prevents cliques forming and enabled sharing across different teams

    4/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • Overall organisation was okay. A lot of aspects of my internship was self organised with guidance from the overall scheme. From the time of applying to receiving an offer of a place was very quick. It would've been better to have more than a few weeks notice before starting my placement.

    4/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • Many members of the organisation were willing to invest their time in me. CV and interview training workshops were provided. There are opportunities to express interest in certain training areas and then workshops put on based on interest. Having a mentor is really invaluable and the 1-2-1 time accelerated my development and made me think about what I was doing on my placement.

    4/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • 3/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • Very appealing. The office has a great atmosphere and the ethos of the organisation suits me. I have an inside understanding of the organisation and what it would be like to work there and the opportunities there would be to develop in my career

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • Lunchtimes were the main social time. Towards the end of the placement fundraising events provided more of a means of socializing. Outside the office there was little opportunity. Especially as some interns had long commutes.

    2/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • Very expensive, especially as the internship was unpaid meaning any spare money went on rent costs. Having travel expenses paid did help massively. No money to socialise!

    2/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • I have no idea, too expensive and no one to go with as you cannot live close to the office as its too expensive

    1/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Yes there were. Volunteering at events of weekends, book clubs, sports clubs etc. It took a while to be made aware of these activities

    4/5
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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Science

London

August 2015

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