Case studies: Internship, Universal Music Operations Ltd: Natalie Powell

Natalie Powell completed a one-year placement at multinational music company Universal Music Operations Ltd as part of her accounting and events management degree at the University of Hertfordshire

I completed my placement year at Universal Music Operations Ltd as a finance intern/assistant.

Throughout my experience I was continually trusted with more advanced tasks as time passed and my abilities developed.

The tasks I was assigned included:

• preparing the joint venture accounting that is sent to third parties on a monthly basis, including royalty calculations and complex profit and loss statements;
• producing a monthly digital sales analysis and monthly profitability report across four business entities for management;
• carrying out deal appraisals on prospective projects to assess the risk/return value of new concepts;
• raising, coding and authorising invoices, which involved regularly liaising with suppliers;
• supporting the team with administrative work and ad hoc tasks.

I decided to do a placement as I thought it would be extremely beneficial to my degree. I felt it would help me gain a better understanding of the industry and would also combat the 'no prior experience' difficulty that students face in gaining a job after graduating.

I found out about it through the university's business school placements office - it was in an exciting industry that seemed to perfectly complement both of my degree subjects.

The application process was less computer-based than other placements I had applied for, and involved sending a covering letter and my CV. I then had a telephone interview, followed by an HR interview and finally a departmental interview.
I found it better being able to express myself in person.

When starting work full time, it was definitely an adjustment, especially as I was commuting into London. The long hours were hard but you soon get used to it and it becomes routine.

The transition to full-time work was also helped by my team who provided lots of support. They allowed me to attend 'introduction to industry' and other training courses to improve my skill-set, and I was allowed to intern at networking events, all of which enabled me to really immerse myself into the company.

My placement has benefitted me in so many ways that I would really recommend students do one. It has provided me with experience in two separate industries, music and finance, which I feel will help me gain employment in the current job market.

I now have a greater understanding of my course and why certain financial matters are handled the way they are. Actually carrying out the process of what I have learnt in a real business environment has also given me perfect reference points when tackling academic problems.

Overall I feel that the confidence I have gained from this experience will be the most beneficial to me, which I can use in future employment - in the job interview process in particular.

I now know that I definitely want a career based in the financial sector as I've really enjoyed my year and am very interested in financial markets. I also feel much more financially informed than before and I am considering going into investment, project management or even qualifying to become a chartered accountant.

My advice to other students would be not to panic or become stressed about starting a placement.

Most employers understand that this is going to be the first career-specific job you have taken on so they do not expect you to know everything when you start. As long as you have a willingness to learn, the benefits you can take from the experience are endless. A second piece of advice would be to take up any opportunity presented to you. If you involve yourself socially and make contacts, it can be invaluable.