During the third year in my course, I had the amazing opportunity to undertake a placement at Mondelez International as a Marketing Intern. Mondelez International is a global FMCG firm with an impressive brand portfolio (you might know Cadbury, Oreo, Toblerone etc).  Prior to securing the offer, the whole process of looking for a placement was a whirlwind – from sending applications, attending assessment centres to looking for housing in a completely different city. There were times where I felt like giving up the job search after getting rejected from various companies … but it all worked out in the end! 

My placement year as a Marketing Intern at Mondelez International was my first “big girl corporate job”.  The months leading up to my first days were extremely nerve-wracking, as having to move from Manchester to London, as well as adjust to a completely new lifestyle was a big change for me. It started when a few other interns and I were scouting for houses to stay in during our placement, and given the London housing market, we couldn’t find available properties to stay in for the year. One week into starting the internship everything settled into place. We found a place to stay in and met our team and managers, who were extremely welcoming and helped us adjust in the corporate world.  

I had no idea what to expect from the placement year. There were a lot of questions in my head regarding organisational culture, dress code, relationship between teams, income tax, living etc. As time went on, I realised working 9-5 was a grave contrast to the university life that I was used to. Instead of popping into the gym anytime or sleeping in on a weekday due to a flexible schedule, I was a subject to the responsibility of 8am commuter (YAWN). Although the 9-5 life was slightly more rigid and rarely allowed spontaneous activities, it was quite comforting to have a solid schedule to adhere to.  

From day one, I was expected to learn company’s jargons, which was incredibly confusing and challenging for me at the start. It was difficult to fully grasp what the company’s culture and hierarchy was, and it felt isolating at the start.  

After a year at Mondelez International, I learnt to chase after learning opportunities despite it being challenging. The placement year has equipped me with so much knowledge – whether it was knowledge about the FMCG industry, how to dress in a corporate setting, how to write a professional email or how to network. This is something I would have never learnt theoretically at the university, and hence I would always advise students to go on a placement year to gain hands-on experience.  My interest in data analytics grew during my placement, and I was able to shadow members of data-driven roles to improve my skills and knowledge. Now, I am in the UoM Data Science Society hopefully to further enhance my coding skills and broaden my career options. The biggest takeaway from the internship was that pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and putting yourself out there to network, will gain you the most experience.  

Written by Natalie, current BSc Management student at AMBS

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