Business Management Associate Review

It was a slow start to settle in, but after you were given more responsibility and got to know the team better it was a very enjoyable experience.

Some of the team were very encouraging and wanted to help you learn new skills

My manager and other members of the management team were open and willing to have a regular catch-up to see how you were getting on and they were very approachable if you needed more guidance. But in general, you were left to your own devices unless you needed help

Workload very much depended on the day- I wasn't busy at all in the first couple weeks but then the work started to pick up after that. As with most project work, it just depended on what needed to be done that day

After the first few weeks, a lot of responsibility was given if you asked for it. The more eager you were to get stuck in and contribute, the more the managers would help you do this- for example, half way through my internship I was given my own project to work on

Training was very good at Fidelity- there were 3 days of training on asset management, capital markets and basic excel skills, before you went to your desk which was very helpful especially if you don't have a background in finance After that, there were lunch and learns twice a week which gave you an overview on different areas of the company which was very useful We also had to do a team presentation to HR which allowed you to practice your presenting skills

I was placed in a new team which was embracing 'new ways of working', therefore it was a very friendly, open and creative environment. We didn't have set desks within our room so it meant you got to know different people in your team Also fruit bowls in the room was a bonus Unfortunately there wasn't an on-site canteen or lunch area

The general structure of the internship was well organised in terms of training, charity days, presentations and socials etc. There could have been some more clarity on what your particular role entailed, what was expected of you and the work you would be involved with

Training was very good and enjoyable- apart from the initial training with an external company, and bi-weekly lunch and learns, e.g. on Personal Investing, Equity Research, Fixed Income etc., there were some online training courses you could do

To progress to the grad scheme after your internship, you had to deliver a 10 min presentation, 10 min Q&A and have another motivational interview at the end of your internship, as well as filling in a self-assessment form. The grad scheme was being re-structured at the time so there wasn't much clarity on the structure of the grad programme, how many rotations you had to do and location etc. but from speaking to current grads, they all seem to be enjoying it

Often a bunch of the interns would go out for drinks near the office on Fridays, which was a bit difficult for those in the Kingswood and Oakhill offices to get to- attendance would also depend on what time people finished work There was also an organised intern social halfway through the internship and at the end, and I would also have drinks with my team on the second Thursday of every month

London is rather expensive in terms of rent, transport and social life, but has a great social scene with loads of bars, restaurants and activities to do on the weekend Unfortunately the Kingswood and Oakhill offices are in the middle of the countryside so there wasn't much of a social scene there, but they did have subsidised on-site canteens and shuttle buses to take them to the train station. Often they might have some company-organised social events

Fidelity's London office is located in St. Paul's so there was lots of pubs/bars/clubs and restaurants in the area. We would always go to a new bar for after-work drinks- the City is always packed out on Thursdays and Fridays

Not that many, there wasn't much socialising amongst colleagues outside of work as most of my team would go home to their families. Anything organised with the other interns were all self-organised