Alisa's placement at J&J - IT Portfolio Management

This is a guest post from Alisa Gunina, who is studying for BSc Management Digital Innovation with a Year in Business at Royal Holloway. Alisa is currently spending 12 months on placement working for Johnson and Johnson as an IT Portfolio Management Intern. In this article she answers a number of questions relating to her placement and is keen to encourage other Royal Holloway students to apply for the company. Indeed many students talked to Alisa at the Royal Holloway Picture Gallery Year in Business event last Autumn.

          

How did you find the application process?

I applied for many roles. It was quite draining, especially because a lot of companies require you to do assessments, fill in long applications, tailor your CV and write lengthy cover letters. I made sure that my CV follows a short and brief template, and if I want to tailor it, I would be able to do so easily. Also make sure to use autofill for your name, phone, email and address, it would save you time and frustration!

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I enjoy being able to add value to the company and an opportunity to network with individuals. During the course of my placement I managed to meet lots of inspirational people. It also feels great to see how the changes you propose give others value.

How much responsibility do you have?

Expect to be given a lot of work. But this is not a bad thing as it really helps you progress. I began my placement with onboarding and training and gradually moved into the role, where I had to take part in decisions, present to seniors and train others. Being trusted with such difficult work gave me confidence in my abilities and motivation! 

What has been your biggest challenge?

I would say that at the beginning, I lacked technical and professional skills. However, with the amount of support and training that I received, I feel more confident to be in a workplace. It was hard at first to overcome my fear of presenting, however after gradually being introduced to presentations and reading through resources, I was able to improve my skills significantly.

What advice would you give students applying to your role?

Don’t give up and keep applying! I know it's what everyone says but, it is easy to be let down by rejections, but being selected sure feels satisfying. I didn’t have any technical skills before starting the role, but my proactive personality and enthusiasm helped me land the job!

Make sure to have your top skills highlighted, so that your application stands out and make your personality shine! Recruiters always look for someone with an interesting CV.

Alisa talking to Year in Business students at the Picture Gallery event Autumn 2019