My L’Oreal journey so far!

By Sophie Ruston, BA Business Management

My journey started in my second year when I attended an ‘Assertiveness & Self Confidence Skills Session’ on the 14th November ran by L’Oreal at the Student’s Union. It was advertised as an on-campus evening where I was able to get hints and tips on how to tackle their applications. It wasn’t until I turned up that they told us they would be running a mock assessment centre with the chance to be ‘talent spotted’ and fast-tracked to the final stage of their application! 

Around a week later I received an email invitation to their final stage assessment centre in London, exactly a month on from the initial event (14th December). I straight away began researching the company, the brands and preparing for the day. 48 hours before, we received an information deck through with lots of information on potential new Kiehl’s skincare products, our job was to prepare a 20 minute presentation on which product to launch, why, and our omni-channel launch plan. 

Fast-forward through 2 days of intense planning and presentation preparing which included analysing data from a survey of my Facebook friends, I was at the assessment centre and presenting to the Head of Digital for L’Oréal’s skincare division. Following the presentation, we were split into groups to take part in a group task which built on the Kiehl’s project, and then completed a numerical and literacy test. Next was lunch and a chance to chat to the current interns and ask questions about their experience and what a placement at L’Oreal was like first hand. After lunch, there was a daunting ‘cut’ where they sent home applicants who hadn’t progressed to the afternoon which then consisted of an attention to detail test, a virtual reality meeting scenario and an individual interview with a senior member of staff.

After successfully gaining a place on the placement scheme, I started on the 25th June 2018 as an ‘E-Retail Intern’ in the Active Cosmetics Division. My role consisted of:

  • Communicating with online retailers to assist with account management and relationship building.
  • Collating, reporting and analysing sales results, tracking market trends and promotion results
  • Ensuring all product launches were planned and executed across e-retailers accurately from start to finish
  • Creating campaign focused assets for website banners, brand pages and social media posts to encourage uplifts in sales, ‘win on the web’ and increase brand awareness.

As much as I got stuck into my day-to-day role, and after an adjustment period, really enjoyed what the job entailed, it was all the other activities I got involved with whilst on placement which made the year so special! I was part of the intern netball team which played weekly matches against other teams around Hammersmith e.g. against the Disney interns. This was a really great chance to meet up with some of the other interns which I didn’t work with, and find out more about their roles in other parts of the business. With over 100 interns across Marketing, Commercial, Finance, Supply and more from 36 brands and 4 divisions, every intern has a totally different role and experience.

Being part of such a large, international company also meant there were occasions where I was able to get involved with corporate events, such as an event at the house of commons, “for Women in Science”, attended by MP’s, Lords and successful business people. This opportunity to represent L’Oréal at such a significant annual event filled me with pride, and also gave me experience networking with individuals outside of the business. I was also involved with charity and corporate social responsibility initiatives within the Head Office, such as selling raffle tickets, working at product sales and volunteering with disadvantaged children in the community.

All in all, my placement year provided me with such a vast array of experiences, I learnt A LOT, developed massively as an individual, but more than anything had such a fantastic time. I enjoyed it so much, that I even stayed at L’Oréal over the summer and completed another internship in a totally separate role, just so I could gain further insight into the business! I have met friends for life, and am back in London at least once a month, I just can’t wait to be back there full time in January 2021 on their Commercial Management Trainee graduate scheme.

My first semester at NTU Singapore

By Alice Lando, BA International Business Management

Having reached the end of the first semester of my exchange year at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, I have found myself looking back at the journey so far. If you intend to do an exchange, and I highly recommend it, you should know that there will definitely be ups and downs, it won’t be all about travelling and meeting new people. 

I was lucky enough to meet a group of friends from all around the world on my third day here that eventually stuck as a group till the end of the semester, when it came the time for very sad goodbyes as most of them were here for only one semester. With this group – we called it “No Spice” because everything in Asia is spicy and we had no tolerance for it – I discovered Singapore, travelled to Bali, went to Halloween at the Universal Studios and many more unforgettable experiences. We are still in touch and planning the next meetups. We even made a t-shirt and a book with all our names, details, fun facts and pictures 🙂 

Given the location of Singapore, there are plenty of opportunities to travel around South East Asia, so far I have been to Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia. 

In regards to my University experience, the Singaporean system comes with an intense workload and it puts students in competition with each other. I was able to keep up with the materials but I had moments where I felt the need to take a step back and focus on myself when the workload was becoming too overwhelming. Business classes are 3 or 4 hours long seminars, there is a lot of preparation work before class and assessments are more frequent compared to what I had in Sheffield in my first year. Moreover, all five modules I took in the first semester had group-project that counted for a major part of my final grade. It was a demanding first semester but I do have to say that the topics discussed were based on real-life situations and therefore overall very useful.  

I have just started the second semester but I already look back with nostalgia at all the beautiful memories I have made. I hope this second semester will be as great as the first one and I am looking forward to being back in Sheffield next September.

 

Applying to University – a horror story?

By Olivia Chavigny De Lachevrotiere, BA International Business Management

Hours, and hours, and hours of research. Documents. Eligibility. Studying. Financial planning. Research. Universities, courses, rankings, research. Studying, and again research. 

Deciding to study in the UK wasn’t the easiest one. Moving abroad, figuring out how to afford the living, how to design my university experience and make the most out of it. Planning for so many details, yet little did I know how different the whole experience would be. 

I was a strong person back in Poland, back home. I would always come up with the initiatives, offer my leadership and organise events. I knew I wanted something more for myself, I wanted to develop on more dimensions than it would ever be possible, had I stayed in the country. The decision wasn’t the easiest, because financially speaking, such a life turn wasn’t really feasible. The entire application process didn’t make it any easier, requiring so much organisation and planning – first, the choice of a course. Then, the universities (research, research, research). Finally, the accommodation, the finance, societies, finding my flatmates, walking through Sheffield on Google Maps so many times, trying to gauge the distance between student halls and my future department. 

I didn’t have the opportunity to come to Sheffield, or any of my chosen universities, before actually moving here; but if you have that opportunity, please take it. For me, choosing the perfect place was like walking in the dark – I could see the general shapes and contours, but never the full detail. The University of Sheffield organises a few Open Days for the applicants throughout the year. The successful ones are also provided with a detailed brochure, which is sent over by post. It walked me through the rather difficult time of trying to understand the city and where everything is, the accommodation and the university facilities. The university offers help in all sorts of issues you might have during the application, but also once you arrive here or later in your studies – be it problems with your landlord, financial issues or job hunt. If you’re still hesitant, let me assure you – the university will welcome you, no matter which country or what family you come from. In the EU and UK in particular, you don’t have to be super wealthy to have access to the top higher education! 

The whole process of taking exams, getting a language certificate, researching and organising might seem a little daunting, but the reward is worth it more than anything – so don’t give up! There is so much more awaiting you!

 

International Summer Placement

By Jamie Taylor, BA Business Management

Over the summer of 2019, I decided to do something with my time to make a difference! I would be spending 6 weeks out in Indonesia working towards making the world a better place!

My placement was with an organisation called ‘AIESEC’ that focuses on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), my project was called ‘E-Millennials’ and this targeted ‘SDG 8’- ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’. The main aim of the project was to promote ‘Entrepreneurship and Eco-tourism’ throughout Indonesia and make a difference to help improve people’s lives.

There were 11 other people in my project team, and this gave our team a real diversity with us all being from different countries from around the world including: China, India, Egypt and Canada just to name a few. There was a belief in what we were all trying to achieve, with us all working together towards the same goal! The project was split up into 3 main components that consisted of ‘School Visits’, ‘Company Visits’ and finally an ‘Eco-Tourism Consultancy Project’ on Tidung island (island off the coast of Jakarta).

School Visits

The School visits were so rewarding as it gave me the opportunity to educate and engage with the Indonesian youth about the SDG’s as well as finding out what their future career ambitions were. Of course, I needed a translator as my Bahasa (Indonesian language) wasn’t the best but ‘Google Translate’ quickly became my new best friend. I had some really positive discussions with the students, and it was great to hear about their different opinions and perspectives!

Company Visits

I had the opportunity to visit a number of companies in Jakarta. This resulted in me waking up at 5am and having to catch a 2-hour train but it allowed me to experience what the Indonesian daily commute was like. To give some context, think of the London Underground at rush hour and times that by five!

Some of the companies that I visited were Nutrifood (Indonesian Healthy Food Manufacturer) as well as Qlausa (Digital marketing agency) these were great learning experiences and gave me the chance to spend time with industry professionals. I found it particularly beneficial to analyse the differences between businesses in the UK and Indonesia.

Visiting Unilever Indonesia was a fantastic experience and it was insightful to learn about all of the Indonesian brands and take part in a brand activation exercise. However, visiting the in-house Magnum Café was definitely a highlight! I highly recommend trying out one of the milkshakes- delicious!

Tourism Consultancy Project

For the final stage of the project I spent a week on Tidung Island. The real value of this trip was to experience the Eco-Tourism opportunities on the island and to give feedback on them to the tourism board. Highlights included, the Coral Reef Restoration Program, the Mangrove Plantation and the Snorkelling trip! At the end of the week I had to give a presentation to the local committee and produce a ‘SWOT analysis’ of tourism on the island!

Overall, this was a fantastic experience and a rewarding way to spend my summer. I would highly recommend AIESEC to anyone as they have programs all around the world and you will be sure to find one that best suits your interest!

‘Go out there and do something that will make your future-self proud’

Why a placement year is so worth it!

By Sophie Ruston, BA Business Management with Employment Experience

I had always had my sights set on doing a placement year (sometimes referred to as year in industry or sandwich year), however, I know some students are often unconvinced. In my opinion the benefits are never ending, therefore, I have compiled below 5 main reasons why, from my experience, a placement year is SO worth it:

Builds Confidence

The responsibility I was given from day 1 was at times challenging, and there were moments when I wondered what I’d signed up for, but there really is no better way to grow your confidence than through diving in at the deep end. Being immersed into a full time role with no (or very little) experience was at first daunting, but it really pushes you to believe in yourself, get stuck into the job at hand and strive to achieve your goals.

Develops Skills

Granted, university helps you on your path to a great career but your own skills and abilities only grow when you actually put them into practice. There is no better way than to start at the very bottom and learn from some of the brightest and most talented individuals out there. I was lucky enough to have such a brilliant and supportive team but wherever you go and whoever you work with, your own skills will only flourish when they are tested. No lecture can really set you up for the workplace

An opportunity to make mistakes

As an intern, you will be the least experienced person in your business and when you’re learning, mistakes are anticipated. You’re not expected to get everything right first time but you are expected to ask questions; a placement year gives you the opportunity to learn from the things you might mess up first time, but build on them next time around.

Improve your employability

A graduate with a placement year (or relevant experience) is far more favourable to any employer than someone who’s never had a job, with some stipulating a certain amount of experience in a professional role. Everyone knows the graduate market is tough, so gaining experience prior to graduating is one of the best ways you can become more employable.

It’s so much fun!

1 year in a fast-paced environment gives you the chance to discover and develop your skills but also to meet amazing people. It’s unlikely you’ll be the only intern, meaning you’ll meet loads of like-minded individuals but you also get to build a great network of colleagues across your business.

After a placement year, it’s difficult to see why anyone wouldn’t try and do one. If you’re a current student and would like more information or one-to-one mentoring, then make sure you drop into the Employability Hub in the Management School.

 

How to sort accommodation for after your year abroad

By Rhiannon Thefaut, BA International Business Management

In first year, my flat decided to live together in second year. However, I was going abroad for my second year and so couldn’t live with them. Instead, I agreed to live with them all in third year and assumed that was that. However, after some disagreements whilst I was away, this was no longer an option. I then had to rethink what I wanted to do.

I am originally from Chesterfield, which is an 11-minute train journey or a 30-minute drive from Sheffield. Therefore, one option for me was to move home and commute to University. Whilst this isn’t an option for everyone, depending how far Sheffield is from your family home, however, it may be something to consider. It’s likely in third year you’ll have less contact hours (and more study hours), so it is an option. Just note if you do commute, your maintenance loan will be significantly less – however, you won’t have the same living costs, so it evens out.

My second option was to live with 2 of my friends from first year. This is the option I took, as I decided that I wanted to have the live-in university experience in Sheffield again, as I enjoyed it so much in first year. However, the main issue for me was that, I had to trust my friends to sort the accommodation. We were on different time zones, and had different free time, meaning that I couldn’t even facetime them to see the places.

The third option is to live with strangers again; this is probably not the most popular idea, however, it can lead to making some really great new friends. There is the facebook page ‘Sheffield student accommodation’ and websites such as ‘Campusboard’ where you can find people who have spare rooms available for the following year.

The last option is to live on your own in a studio or 1 bedroom flat. Honestly, after my year abroad, I felt a strong sense of autonomy and responsibility. I was probably ready to live alone and that may be how some of you feel. A year abroad gives you so much freedom and builds your confidence, meaning that sometimes moving back and living with your friends isn’t the same. Your friends can still visit, but you don’t have the added stress of dealing with their mess or their noise – which is always nice!

My last piece of advice would be, make sure to decide what you want to do early on. As you probably remember from first year, students start deciding who they’re living with and where quite early (October onwards). You need to make sure you look too! It’s quite difficult when you can’t visit the place yourself, so, get them to do a skype call to show you it or get one of your friends to visit for you – it’s vital to make sure the place is legitimate and suits your needs.

 

Zero-waste in Sheffield

By Serena Wong, BA International Business with Study Abroad

For my first blog post, I’ve decided to share with our fellow friends how I do zero-waste in Sheffield!

Back home in Malaysia, the closest zero waste store was an hour drive away with majority of the stores congregated in the Central Business District. This lack of access proved to be an inconvenience when I first started going zero-waste. It was also difficult to implement small, incremental changes in my household, as my parents deemed it easier and cheaper to buy plastic-packaged products. The biggest change I made back home was designating a recycling area at home.  

Six months later- today, my flat mates and I compost, recycle, and we do not use kitchen rolls at all! 

In just about every university building- the Sheffield Students’ Union, Information Commons, the Diamond, we can purchase food and drinks in recyclable packaging and then toss them out at the many and easily-available recycling bins. In addition, our Students’ Union has an outlet- Our Zero Waste Shop- dedicated to plastic-free wholefoods and environmentally friendly household goods.

One of the best aspects of the shop is the refilling station for both food and household liquids. You can refill your shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent as well as rice and herbs. My personal favourite however, is refilling my empty jars with delicious sweets! 

Its wide array of zero-waste products coupled with the affordable prices, makes Our Zero Waste Shop (https://www.facebook.com/OurZeroWasteShop/) one of its kind in Sheffield. 

I am so proud to share that the store makes ZERO profit from their reusable pads and menstrual cups range. It’s incredibly heartwarming to know that our university prioritise making sanitary products both accessible and affordable for our students. As perfect alternatives to regular sanitary essentials, they make perfect gifts for ladies! Just last month, I bought a set of 6 with 1 wash bag, for just £15.76! If that’s not a bargain, I don’t know what is. 

If you’re looking for an easy way to reduce your plastic consumption, why not ditch the cling film and grab bags, and head down to your local market for some fresh and cheap fruits and vegetables. I particularly enjoy doing my grocery shopping at the Moor Market for plastic-free fresh produce. From a plethora of cheeses, to freshly-baked scones, Moor is my go-to destination for fruits, vegetables, fresh poultry, free-range eggs and buttery scones! You can even find stores that stock oriental spices and sauces. 

My zero-waste lifestyle will always be a work-in-progress, but to know and believe that our university isn’t just a supportive platform but rather the support, I have no doubts I will continuously lead the lifestyle that fills my heart and brings me happiness.

What I learnt on my summer internship

By Rhiannon Thefaut, BA International Business Management

My internship was a learning experience. I hated it, but reflecting back, I learnt some really important lessons and developed as a person because of it. I’ve got a clearer idea now on how best I worked, what I wanted from a job and what I was and wasn’t interested in. Therefore, I recommend doing an internship, even if it’s not what you expect – because the lessons learnt are worth it and, honestly, the extra money is really helpful for third year when your maintenance loan lowers. 

The first thing I learnt was that I did not want to work in Human Resources – until this internship, I was sure this was what I wanted to go into. However, after learning it was more about policies and following guidelines, rather than directly helping people, I decided it wasn’t interesting to me. The positive from this was that through my project on creating a tool to predict unplanned absence, I learnt I really enjoyed working with data. I’m now applying for master’s in data analysis and graduate jobs that directly involve looking at trends in data. This was probably the best thing that came out of my internship; it allowed me to see what areas I enjoyed working in a practical sense, rather than theoretical.

The second thing I learnt was that who you work with really makes the job – the people I worked with didn’t try to include me, help me or support me. I went to work and didn’t speak to anyone all day and then went to the flat I lived in alone to not speak to anyone some more. Looking back on it, I could have tried more to talk and be part of the HR team, however, as they didn’t try to include me, I didn’t have the confidence to put myself out there. I asked my manager for help 12 times, and each time got rejected and told she didn’t have time for me.

This links to the third thing I learnt – ask for help. If your manager won’t help you, ask someone else. If they can’t, ask another person. It felt so uncomfortable interrupting people who constantly complained how busy they were, but you’re not burdening them by asking – nearly everyone will be willing to help, or direct you to who can help. 

My last piece of advice would be to think hard about whether it is worth doing an internship for the whole summer – when you’ve just been away from home for a year. I struggled with home sickness more during my internship, than my year abroad as I really wanted the time with my family after so long and didn’t have the chance. 

My year abroad with a dairy allergy

By Rhiannon Thefaut, BA International Business Management

As someone who cannot eat dairy, going to France for my year abroad was probably not my best idea. For one, I spoke minimal French and was left using google translate to explain to the waiters that I needed pizza, sans fromage. Secondly, France has not yet progressed to including allergy information on their menus, let alone providing vegan options. And lastly, everything in France includes dairy products, from the classic croissants and French breads to meat, pizza – and even ‘les escargots! However, as I narrowly managed to avoid death by dairy last year, I’ve proved that it is possible. Here I will give you some top tips to effectively manage your allergy whilst abroad.

The first thing that helped me was stocking up and bringing lots of dairy free foods from home – luckily, you can get the ferry or the Eurotunnel to France and so I had quite a bit of room to bring everything necessary. I made sure to bring the basics – sauces, hot chocolate powder, butter etc and then packed the rest of the car to the brim with as many snacks as possible; chocolate, biscuits, crumpets and sweets. This was vital, because I couldn’t buy them from French supermarkets – and with 40 hours of lectures a week, stress eating was a common occurrence!

Secondly, look everywhere for small, family owned businesses – these are your best bet for finding speciality foods that cater to specific dietary requirements. One that I found in France, called Bio, sells vegan ‘pains au chocolat’ and croissants; finding these was amazing, especially when my friends had croissant mornings as it let me join in on the fun! Also ensure to look out for international chain businesses such as Starbucks Coffee. They will have dairy and gluten free alternatives, with less risk of contamination. 

Lastly, try to meet people from the country where you’re staying, as they can then explain to restaurant waiters and shop clerks about your dietary requirements. If you don’t know anyone, then make sure you’ve perfected how to explain it yourself in the language using simple phrases such as ‘sans fromage’ (French for ‘without cheese’).

Most European countries aren’t as accommodating towards veganism or allergies as England, unless you’re in a major city like Rome or Paris. But it’s definitely possible to cope with just an extra bit of effort in most places. I went to many different restaurants whilst on my year abroad and whilst I struggled in some places, in the end they want your money – so they’ll be as accommodating as possible. You got this!

Tips to make University easier with a disability

By Rhiannon Thefaut, BA International Business Management

I am currently in my third year at the University of Sheffield, studying International Business Management. But there’s something about me that people wouldn’t know at first glance; I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). It is an invisible illness that creates significant body pain, intense fatigue and extreme sensitivity to noise and light. This illness has severely impacted on various aspects of my life, making it harder to study due to brain fog and fatigue, and preventing me from doing as many social activities as other students.

I decided to write this to help current or potential Sheffield students who may also be struggling with an illness or disability. I’ll discuss techniques that helped me manage my studies, some of the tools I wish I’d known were available to me, and some things I’ve learnt along the way.

The first and most important thing I want to tell you about is the Disability Students Allowance. The DSA is a government-funded grant that you can apply for alongside your maintenance loan, that provides financial support for those whose disability might cause extra costs while at uni. This could range from a taxi to and from campus, to laptops, or even tools that can read out documents for you! Applying for the DSA can take some time, so I recommend starting the process when applying for your maintenance loan to make sure your funds are ready once you start your degree. 

The DSA can also send your disability report to Sheffield’s Disability and Dyslexia Support Service (DDSS), to make the university aware of your needs ready for when you arrive.

And that brings me onto my second point – make sure to communicate with the DDSS; they can help liaise with your course representative, making sure you have all considerations needed – whether that’s extended deadlines, extra exam time or special considerations with regards to results. 

For me, one of the hardest things was accepting that it wasn’t cheating to have the extra considerations – I hated using my illness as an excuse. The toughest lesson for me was learning that it is not an excuse, it is a reason and it is legitimate. However, if you feel uncomfortable using these services, there is a society for people who have disabilities called ‘dyslexic and disability students committee’ which contains students who can understand what you’re going through, provide support and a unique form of friendship.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to tell your friends that you have a disability! A major thing for me was finding people who accepted and were considerate of the fact that I needed to sleep more than most students and wouldn’t be able to just go out randomly. I need a few days to prepare for a night out, and a few days after to recover. The biggest way to socialise at University seems to be drinking and clubbing, so when I couldn’t do this, it was hard and made me feel like I was missing out. However, when I found the right friendship group, they made sure that the social activities were ones I could be involved in, and make sure I felt included on the nights out, even when I didn’t go. Do not push yourself, do not be afraid to tell your friends your limits, and find people who respect them.