Summer Intern Review

There were elements that I really enjoyed and I feel I learned alot about the workings of the Bank and how all the different areas work together. However, some of the work was tedious and did not really utilise my skills.

This was very varied as a few colleagues were extremely good at making me feel welcome and valued, however, the majority it seemed they didnt mind who it was doing the work so long as it got done and made no effort to get to know me.

My line manager was great the whole way through. Providing support when it was needed and also providing constructive feedback on areas to improve.

I was kept busy on a daily basis and always had something I could be working on though this is dependent on the desk you worked on.

I was given very little responsibility and therefore felt unable tomaintain the level motivation and high standard I would be keen to produce if more resposibilty for a project was given to me.

I have learnt many computer skills within programmes such as Excel and Powerpoint that I will be able to continue to use in my degree and beyond. I have also learnt a large amount about the overall working of a investment bank and how each department can vary but also fit together to work as one.

The atmosphere was mixed. At times people were more relaxed but at busy points many people (particuarly managers) could become quite short and unwilling to help. There was not a tendency for my team to socialise outside of work or particuarly get to know people within the team.

I felt it was extremely well organised at every level. Right form HR organising social events for interns across each department and training sessions on the computer programmes we were required to use, down to the individual teams I worked with who seemed well prepared for including Interns and providing them with work to do.

RBS were very good with further training and development, including training sessions for software programmes we used from outside RBS eg with Bloomberg and Factset. We were also given ten luch time lectures/talks on different department/desks which gave an insight into an area of the bank we were perhaps not rotating through.

I was really impressed with the way RBS treated us as Interns and how much they invested in our training and develpoment despite only being with them for 10 weeks. They have set up an outstading graduate programme allowing analysts to rotate around various departments of the investment bank.

Amongst fellow interns there was a good social scene with a group of people always willing to go out especially at the end of the week. With work colleagues this was not the case and my team did not seem to socialise together outside of work.

It was very standard for central London, obviuously not a cheap place to live but I wasn't hugely surprised by the level of prices.

It was very tailored towards the after work crowd, with many bars having drinks deals around 6-8 in the evenings, however, nothing in the way of nightclub etc.

We were invloved in raising money for the Princes Trust charity while we were there. As a permanent member of staff I belive there are more activities available outside of work that I did not have the chance to explore.