Spring Intern Review

I enjoyed it very much. It was amazing to be with such a diverse group of people and I really thought we all got on well and enhanced each other to the best of our abilities. It was nice to be able to bounce of others ideas. So yes the experience was an amazing opportunity and I would encourage anyone my age to do it!

I felt very valued because no matter what level you are in the company everyone takes you seriously and listens to your ideas. Even the managers replied to any emails I sent and they really wanted to input into my experience here. Everyone was here to help and they didn't make you feel stupid for asking lots of questions.

The guidance was good but I do think it is important to have your own freedom and not to be too scheduled. People should take responsibility for themselves and not rely on others and occasionally it felt like we were being checked up on. Saying this the programme worked very well and we were still allocated free time and time to network.

They will help me a lot. Maybe not in my actual studying as I feel I already had developed these skills to a high level, however, I developed key networking skills. It was also a good experience just to get into working life and to wake up early and get into the same routine that I will be doing when I graduate. I also learned to be inquisitive.

It was a very well thought out programme. Anytime we did have to ourselves we were able to spend with people in the firm to network and understand their career progression.. This really helped because it made me feel like I had people I could rely on and come to if I wanted to know something or just wanted a catch up. Having a mentor is a really good idea for the programme.

The atmosphere was friendly and considerate. We were with people from all over the world and so we had to be very understanding of other ways of life which I enjoyed, I loved learning about different cultures! Everyone else was very intelligent so I think it really made people perform to the best of their abilities. We all got on very well and I wouldn't haves changed the group of people I worked with for the world.

They invested a lot, the company really wanted to make sure that all the interns were happy and that we felt like we were learning a lot. There was no point where I felt embarrassed to ask questions. All the staff stopped whatever they were doing to give talks and to spend time with us doing work shadowing. Also we had department insights and many other great experiences that meant the staff gave up their own time and invest in us.

This insight didn't give me too much of an idea what it would be like to work in the firm full time because it was more of a learning experience. The work shadowing wasn't actually sitting with them and seeing what they do each day because of the private nature of their work. However it did enable me to learn a lot about the firm even though I didn't really see what it would be like to work there.

This really gave me a real insight into what it would be like to work at the firm. The culture was very friendly and people stopped whatever they were doing to give you time. The staff who work here work very hard, they work long days but that is part of the culture and I think that working as part of the team you accept that and you just get on with your days. The employees really accepted us as one of them and I think that explains what it would be like to work here, no matter what your background you are accepted.

I have decided that I definitely want to go into the world of banking. They give you a lot of help in thinking about it, we had some career talks and other support to help us think about what we wanted to do in our future lives. Although they didn't pressure us to say that we had to come back or go into banking they said this is just an insight so we ourselves need to think if this is right for us. I really would love to stay with the firm as the culture is brilliant.

We got £400 a week

Yes, every lunchtime we had an opportunity to meet up with someone in the firm. Before we arrived we were emailed by our buddy who was allocated to two students. They were keen to meet up straight away when we arrived. The firm put on lunches and coffees for us and our buddies so we could chat. In addition to that, we also had networking lunches and other evening events so we could mingle with the people within the firm and chat about their experiences.

These experiences were good, they put on food and cakes for us. It would have been nice to have a few more employees on the first networking event because I found it hard to find people of my own division. I really liked the employees who I spent time with, they had all the time that we wanted and they were very open to discussions and telling us about their roles within the firm.

Yes the employees do a lot outside the firm, like some people are involved in charities. There is also a gym within the building so some like to go to the gym in their free time. The facilities within the building are so good so if you want a bit of time off work there is no shortage of things to do. Many of the employees have children and so they spend their time with them on the weekends.

Yes I most definitely would, I think it is good for anyone who is thinking about going into the banking industry. It may be that my friend is unsure and so doesn't want to do the experience but I would say it is so useful even if you are unsure as it really helps you to come to some conclusion about what you see yourself doing. I have met some fantastic people and also gained skills in banking that I would not have had otherwise, so all in all it has really opened my eyes to this world and it has been a brilliant opportunity.