Digital Marketing Degree Apprentice Review
at Unilever
Degree Apprenticeship
Marketing
Leatherhead
Review Submitted: April 2023
Overall Rating
4.2 /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!
4.5/5
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Overview of Role
4/5
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Skills Development
3.6/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
My days are varied and encompass a lot of different tasks. This ranges from large-scale campaigns and project planning to smaller, ad-hoc requests. I focus on digital marketing related responsibilities, such as website ownership, paid social media posts, e-commerce content optimisation, and organic search rankings across the brands I work on.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
5/5
I hugely enjoy my programme. The ability to work on such big brands makes work so much more exciting as it is easier to visualise what it is you are marketing. The team and people also make up a large part of why the programme is enjoyable, as everyone is extremely friendly and always willing to teach you and extend your skills.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
4/5
I have learnt many new skills - as an apprentice who started working straight from leaving school, I had no pre-existing marketing related skills so in a short time, my team at Unilever upskilled me in a broad range of marketing skills. These include data analytics, campaign planning, project leadership, consumer buying behaviour and how to effectively use social media to advertise.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
The beginning of the programme is extremely well structured with an extensive onboarding process that prepares you for starting work and also gives you the chance to network with fellow Unilever employees. However the process of rotating roles halfway through the apprenticeship is less structured and we are not given much advance information about the rotations.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
The onboarding process for the programme is very well organised and I felt very supported in my first few months coming into the role. In terms of our off-the-job training, the University also provides support to new joiners. The Unilever Future Careers team has always been available to us apprentices for support.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
3/5
I found the process to be less efficient and there were some difficulties with getting everyone signed up to the University platform. However the professors are usually quick at replying to emails and will support in seminars. Our course leader is very supportive in any problems the apprentices have with the training provider.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
The information I am learning in my course is very well suited to my role, especially during first year when you are learning more broader principles of marketing which apply to any facet of a marketing role. When the course becomes more specific, it does not always directly link to what you are currently working on, but there are always useful soft skills being learnt.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Yes there is a large range of social activities and team building events that take place within teams and business units, and there is also many extra curricular activities and networks to be part of, like the LGBT Society, Empower, and other groups for different interests. There are sporting activities, like a netball team and a yearly Great Walk for charity.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Unilever to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Unilever has a good support system in place for apprentices and creates a lot of opportunities for them. It does an excellent job in giving apprentices tasks and responsibilities relevant to their courses and long-term professional development. If you are ambitious and keen to learn new skills, then definitely go for it.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Unilever?
Make sure you are passionate about Unilever and learn about the company before applying. It is a very big company so you could end up on working on a lot of different brands, so do not apply with one specific brand in mind as it will limit your ability to enjoy the programme.
