Meet Reckitt: The Brands Behind Your Bathroom Cabinet
Reckitt is one of the world's leading consumer health and hygiene companies. Behind everyday names like Dettol, Nurofen, Durex, Strepsils and Finish is a business that genuinely runs on people who care about what they do. With operations in over 60 countries and a purpose built around protecting, healing and nurturing, Reckitt is also somewhere that invests seriously in its people from day one.
And for those who join through the internship route, the possibilities can move faster than you might expect. Just ask Victoria.
Victoria's Story: The Role That Almost Did Not Happen
Victoria Chukwuma had four years of marketing and communications experience abroad and was seeking a career pivot before completing her Master's in Strategic Marketing when she spotted the Reckitt Commercial Sales Internship in Hot Opps, the 93% Club's weekly newsletter. On paper, it did not look like an obvious match. The role was data-led, technical and commercially focused. Her background was in brand storytelling and audience engagement. Even though she desired a career in sales, the technical requirements made her nearly scroll past it.
She applied anyway.
"The 93% Club gave me the confidence to apply for a role that was a bit outside my direct experience."
That single decision changed the direction of her career. Two months into her internship, working with the Sainsbury's Household team analysing weekly performance drivers for Reckitt's powerbrands, Victoria was offered a full-time role as a Commercial Analyst on Reckitt's E-Commerce team. She had gone from intern to permanent employee, now working across Reckitt's Amazon account, one of the most commercially complex accounts in the business.
What the Role Is Actually Like
Victoria will be the first to tell you the reality of the Commercial Intern role was not what she imagined. She had expected something more client-facing, more relationship-led. What she found was a deep dive into data and insights: working with large datasets, monitoring brand and performance trends, in-store and online 4P analysis, and the kind of rigorous number-crunching that drives decisions on some of the UK's best-known brands.
"The role was more data-driven than I expected," she says, "but what got me through was curiosity, being eager to learn, and being proactive about my growth. I wanted to learn the job and I wanted to learn it well."
She didn’t arrive knowing every Excel formula. She looked them up. She booked coffee chats with colleagues not because anyone asked her to, but because she wanted to understand how the business worked from every angle. That proactive, curious approach, not a polished CV or a perfectly matched skill set, is what Reckitt noticed.
A Culture That Actually Invests in You
What stands out most when Victoria talks about Reckitt is the people. The team was open, willing to share knowledge, and genuinely interested in helping her grow. Progression at Reckitt is not a vague promise in a job advert. It is something Victoria watched happen around her in real time.
"Colleagues are very open to sharing their knowledge and experience. Seeing someone go from graduate to Senior National Account Manager in five years, that inspires you."
The culture rewards those who put their hand up, stay curious, and back themselves to keep learning. For Victoria, who moved from the Household team to E-Commerce within her internship and into a permanent role shortly after, that culture was not just supportive. It was transformative.
Why the 93% Club Made the Difference
Victoria found the role through Hot Opps, the 93% Club's weekly jobs newsletter. She describes as much simpler than most of the lengthy processes she had encountered elsewhere. But the practical ease of applying was only part of it.
Knowing that the employers featured in Hot Opps are specifically committed to state-educated talent changed something. The barrier did not feel as high. Not because the role was any less demanding, but because the welcome was more explicit. That confidence, the sense that she was wanted in that room, was what pushed her to apply for something she might otherwise have talked herself out of.
Her advice to anyone in that same position right now?
"Apply even if you meet about 50% of the requirements. Frame your skill gaps as a willingness to learn, companies like Reckitt will teach you the technical skills on the job."
The Reckitt Commercial Internship is live on our jobs board now, and applications are closing soon. It comes with real responsibility, brilliant training, and a genuine pathway to Reckitt's graduate scheme for those who perform well.
Victoria's story is proof that the right opportunity, found in the right place, can take you further than you planned.
About The 93% Club
The 93% Club is the UK's largest network for state school students and graduates, championing social mobility and levelling the playing field in careers. We exist to make sure that where you went to school does not determine where you end up in your career.
We partner with forward-thinking employers like Reckitt who share our belief that talent is everywhere, even if opportunity is not. Reckitt is proud to be listed on our job board, actively recruiting from a diverse pool of talented candidates who bring fresh perspectives, drive, and ambition to the workplace.
If you are a state school student or graduate looking to build a meaningful career at an organisation that genuinely invests in its people, explore what Reckitt has on offer on our Jobs Board today!