Operations Intern Review

Having the opportunity to experience the banking sector and the various aspects within my chosen business function gave me the best possible experience to be able to make an informed decision in the future. Additionally, the ability to meet and network with a range of people from various backgrounds was invaluable.

I felt valued because we got to do some real ‘hands-on’ work and get involved with every activity that was presented to us. There was also a large focus on developing a range of skills throughout the week that I believe can only be beneficial. Additionally, everyone I met across the bank was very approachable and meant that I could interact with people from multiple tiers within the business.

We got guidance both during the week and to help us in the future outside of the week. It felt like anything but a ‘school’ environment and very much like a corporate environment, but this is important because you can make a real judgement on the environment and culture. During the week we were able to develop soft-skills that will be beneficial whether someone reapplies for the organisation or elsewhere.

The skills that I developed will very much help me in my degrees and beyond. The skills that we had the opportunity I believed to be very much ‘real’ skills which perhaps cant be taught in a lecture theatre and it is very much about interacting with a range of different people.

The time and effort that was put into us in planning the week and during the week itself reflects how well organised the week was. There was no issues in terms of timing (as long as we were on time!), the facilities available and the people that we work shadowed had made time for us to get the most out of the time with them, often redistributing tasks throughout their day to show to me. The structure of the week was extremely impressive and reflective of the organisation and its professionalism.

Everyone that I met, whether it was fellow Interns or Vice Presidents, was very approachable and was keen for me to ask questions and engage with them. This is very much the kind of environment I was looking for because I could speak to a range of people and make the most out of my time with them.

Over the week we got to develop and learn an array of skills from leading organisations. These skills are not only applicable to banking but further afield and I am very grateful for this level of investment.

There will always be limitations with just having a week in an organisation, but I did still feel I got to experience what it would be like to have a full time role. The work shadowing in particular illustrated this and gave me the best representation of a working day in the bank.

The company culture could be seen throughout the week. This occurred from a range of sources but mainly from speaking to people within the bank: all were clearly passionate about the business and enthusiastic about their roles, and this suggests to me that it’s the kind of organisation I’d like to ultimately work for.

I felt that the content in the day gave me the ability to make an informed decision as to whether I wish to pursue banking in the future. It was valuable because I got to experience the broader aspects of the business as well as the opportunity to see specific areas within the bank.

I felt that the expenses reimbursement was very generous. Our travel expenses (excluding the tube during the week) and our accommodation were paid for as well as an additional amount to cover expenses over the week.

We had two networking events throughout the week which was fantastic, but also outside of those were opportunities to be able to network and meet a range of people.

The networking/social aspects were great because you get to really engage with someone and ask senior people questions.

It is clear that there is a range of activities outside of the job roles. There is a large sporting communities as well as socials for lots of different types of events.

Definitely: If you want to go into banking, you need to do something like this. This is because there is only so much the internet can tell you, it is about ‘being on the ground,’ speaking to people and absorbing the atmosphere to see whether it is for you or not.