New Sciences Intern Review
at BAT
Placement (10 Months+)
Science, Market Research
Southampton
Review Submitted: July 2021
Overall Rating
4.9 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
5/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
5/5
-
Support and Guidance
4.5/5
-
Company Culture
5/5
-
Overall Experience
5/5
-
Future Career Prospects
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
There isn't a typical day-to-day role at BAT as working in such an innovative space means projects and tasks are ever changing. Over the year I worked on many projects but designed and managed one from start to finish. Every day I collaborate with external experts, keep up to date with the latest research, test new capabilities, and sometimes visit study sites! It's a lot of responsibility but I really enjoy it.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
I was always given meaningful tasks that were truly valuable to the business. Not only did this give me great exposure to industry , it also meant I felt valued not as an intern but as a colleague. I was given huge responsibility in managing my own project, being a leader to my team and managing external companies and world experts. I was also given the responsibility of helping hire the next Intern.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
5/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
I developed so many skills! Presentation skills, time management, project management, lab skills just to name a few. BAT also has a placement team who have a program dedicated to developing professional skills - they arrange large scale presentations to stakeholders, CV workshops, and interview practise.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
5/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
5/5
Support and Guidance
How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
BAT have a fantastic placement team. Right from the start they allocated every intern with a senior mentor for professional guidance and a buddy who was a friendly face to chat to anytime! All the Intern line managers at BAT have asked for an Intern specifically meaning they have a great attitude towards you and give support in everyway possible, even non work guidance e.g. university work. I felt very supported.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
5/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
5/5
Company Culture
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
With 2020/21 being the year of Covid I wasn't expecting a lot of work atmosphere, I mainly worked from home. However everyone was very active in setting up team lunches or drinks at the pub, team building activities etc. BAT has a lot of clubs and a few of the Interns joined the football and cricket teams. I met up with people after work for drinks and catch ups.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
5/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
4/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
4/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
I loved my placement. Everything from my team, the opportunities, the other interns, and the work itself was so fun and interesting. BAT internship applications are very vague so I didn't know what to expect but I have come out of this year with so many contacts and broader horizons. I would come back - and I know a lot of BAT interns do.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Future Career Prospects
Please rate the future employment prospects at BAT
5/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend BAT to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to BAT
If you are applying to BAT the first place you want to look at is the BAT Science website. Here you can see everything we work towards and get some good company knowledge. You can also see the company ethos, which is what all employees fit. The interview process was quite quick, with a telephone interview first then a face to face one. My advice would be to show you are forward thinking and confident.
