Unilever
The result of an Anglo-Dutch merger, Unilever has its fingers in many a pie. From Ben & Jerry’s to Lynx deodorant, Unilever’s lengthy product range has propelled it to the pantheon of global consumer-product manufacturers.
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The Inside Buzz View
Graduate Careers at Unilever
If you’re interested in having your fingers in as many pies as Unilever does, then there are six to choose from. Unilever offers a graduate leadership programme that focuses on customer development, financial management, information technology, marketing, supply chain and innovation and technology management (R&D). You can find out much more information about each of these online on Unilever’s UK website on its 'Careers' section. The firm specifies, however, that for its supply chain programme, it strongly prefers graduates with an undergraduate or masters degree in engineering, logistics, operations management, maths, science, finance or business administration. Additionally, a second language, or a willingness to learn one, is considered an advantage. Graduates offered a place in the programme and then specialising in one of its areas are then based in one of the firms Unilever’s UK business operations. There, they undertake around four placements over two years, each of which amounts to a real job, lending insight into Unilever’s business and giving skills and experience. The placements may well be dotted around the UK, so if you’re interested, you’ll need to be flexible when it comes to relocation. The programmes include strong support schemes, providing participants with training and development opportunities, along with courses which lead to professional qualifications. You can also expect competitive remuneration, a pension and life assurance scheme and discretionary career breaks.
Unilever’s recruitment process begins online. Fill in the online form, and if the firm likes what it sees, you’ll be given a telephone interview. Following this, you’ll need to complete a psychometric test, and if you fit the bill, you’ll undergo an assessment day in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey between April and August. This will involve group discussions, a work simulation or in-tray exercise and individual competency based interviews. See www.unilevergraduates.com to take your next step. If you fancy getting in there early, students have an opportunity to experience Unilever while still studying through the company’s summer placement scheme. Lasting ten weeks, the scheme offers students the chance to work alongside Unilever managers on genuine business projects within the UK. Check on www.unilevergraduates.com to find out when applications can be made. If you want even more of a head start with the company and you are a penultimate year student, you can apply to become a student campus manager. This involves working as Unilever’s campus representative and increasing the company’s profile on campus through a variety of initiatives. You’ll get paid for this role and it will only take two to three hours each week, and it’s a great way to get into the company.
Unilever Graduate Recruitment Info
Unilever Profile & Stats
If you think the name Unilever rings a bell, that’s because it probably does. Through the merging of a Dutch margarine company and a British soap maker came the birth of Unilever. As one of the world’s largest consumer products manufacturers, you’d had to have been living under a rock not to have come into contact with a Unilever item. The firm’s portfolio of brands covers food products to home and personal care products; Flora spreads, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Pepperami, PG Tips tea, Dove soap, shampoo, body wash, Lynx deodorant, Pond’s face products, Wish-Bone salad dressings, Knorr soup mixes, seasonings and sauces, Ragu sauces, Q-tips, Lipton teas, soups and seasonings (Lipton’s Yellow Label is one of the most popular teas in the world), Vaseline and Slimfast are just a handful of the brands under the Unilever umbrella. So what puts Unilever so high in the consumer game?
Powering through the 1950s with new technologies, the company saw an increase in expansion and consolidation in the ‘70s and ’80s, and still to do this day invests billions every year in research and development into new products. As if trading on the New York, Amsterdam and London Stock exchanges wasn’t enough, Unilever took on Russia’s largest ice-cream brand for an undisclosed amount, making a clear statement about the firm’s confidence in Russia for future growth. China is also a priority for increased sales, and Unilever’s investments aren’t to be doubted, considering 44 percent of its sales growth in the last five years is owed to emerging markets. Unilever demonstrated its commitment to research and development in two ways in 2008. First, it appointed non-executive director Professor Geneviève Berger, who has three doctorates, as its new chief research and development officer in June, as well as the sole woman on its executive team. The firm also opened Centres of Excellence, global product development centres devoted to ice cream, tea and margarine. The centres are based in the UK, Italy and The Netherlands. The ice foods centre alone will employ 130 research and development workers to brainstorm about ice, freezing ingredients and processing. The focus of the development is to develop ice-based foods that are healthier for consumers, using natural ingredients for example, as well as new textures.
While Unilever is keen to grow and expand, it is aware that olden is not always equivalent to golden. As part of Unilever’s ongoing process of divesting itself of non-core assets, in June 2008 it sold its Ivory Coast palm oil plantations to Ivorian company Sifca, along with two Singaporean groups Wilmar International and Olam International. Half the proceeds will be used to acquire Cosmivoire, another Ivorian company that specialises in the manufacture of soaps, palm oil for household consumption and butter. The firm also recently disposed of Boursin cheese, a devastating piece of news for lovers of pungent dairy goods.
