Private Banking Intern Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I have spent at Adam & Co this summer. I was able to rotate through a number of different banking teams as well attend investment meetings and gain a better insight into the role of financial planners within the business. I was given a wide variety of work to complete alongside an eight week project that was both challenging and interesting to complete.

I felt well valued by my colleagues during my time at Adam & Co, although the work I was completing wasn't always particularly difficult it was obvious that I was freeing up time for my colleagues to complete more complex time-consuming work which they appreciated. Everyone was also more than happy to take the time to explain a task to ensure that I got it right first time and would be able to replicate the work whenever required.

I had weekly one to ones with my line manager where we discussed what I had accomplished over the previous week and what my goals were for the following week. This was incredibly useful when trying to organise insights into other teams such as Business Development where he was able to lead the enquiry and help organise such insights. In addition to this, I spoke to the individual over-seeing the private banking interns once every two weeks who was also able to provide guidance on more generic issues.

In general during my time at Adam & Co I was very busy, there was a good balance between having to ask for work and it being provided to me and the tasks varied greatly from completing background research on guests attending one of our events to credit commentaries. In addition to daily work, I also had a large project to work on which involved numerous phone calls to different individuals as part of fact finding and feedback as well as face to face meetings. This meant if there was a lack of work available for me in the office I was still able to make good use of my time.

As time increased I was able to work independently on different tasks as both my knowledge and confidence in my work grew. The importance of the work I completed also increased with time as was given more responsibility, considering this even only a few weeks in I was able to complete commentaries and reviews without supervision. I was still able to ask for feedback on my work, particularly in regards to stylisation of my work rather than content as I was seen as an equal rather than just as an intern.

As a student studying an Engineering degree the work I completed was far removed from the work I complete at university. However, as an individual who wishes to work in the financial services industry the exposure I had and the knowledge I gained about different products and services was invaluable. I was also able to pick up skills relating to company accounts, their cashflow and the analysis of them which is something I had even considered before I completed the internship.

The atmosphere in the office was incredibly friendly as my colleagues were more than willing to spend time working through an issue with me or explain something before I completed task. The work culture is also great as although you are expected to complete the tasks in a timely and accurate manner it never felt like I was being pressurised to complete a task, and the support was available if needed. My colleagues would also make sure there were things that I could get involved in ranging from being invited to different presentations or drinks after work.

As the internship is only in its second year it is pretty fluid in its structure. This was great as not only did I rotate through a number of the banking teams but it was also possible to spend time with teams such as investments, and business development. The first couple of weeks are based around training and welcome events which ensured I had a good grounding in the computer system etc before starting. There were a couple of instances at the start where I wasn't able to complete certain tasks as I was without certain clearances etc, however, these issues were quickly resolved.

Before starting work in the Adam & Co office myself and my fellow interns went through a number of different courses to give us a grounding in both the computer system employed, and the products and services available to clients. I also had to complete learning modules to comply with the RBS group's services standards and how these can be reflected in our work. As a graduate at Adam & Co the costs of attaining professional qualifications is also covered.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I have spent within Adam & Co. As a company they are definitely prepared to invest in your long term development which is incredibly appealing. The grad scheme is also designed to provide you with maximum exposure to the different roles within the bank, but by speaking to my line manager I know it is also fluid enough or you to gain a rotation outside of Adam e.g. RBS commercial if you really wish to gain more external exposure. The atmosphere of the office and attitude towards junior employees, are some of the many reasons that make Adam & Co an incredibly appealing prospect to myself if I am lucky enough to receive a job offer from them.

As Adam & Co is part of the larger RBS group, and the majority of RBS interns are based at Gogarburn there were numerous opportunities to socialise with them, however, as daily contact with them was limited it was difficult to connect with them. As the majority of the private banking interns were based in London it was also difficult to regularly connect with them, but there were various events and days that meant I could travel down to London and meet them.

As a Scottish city Edinburgh can be considered to be rather expensive, however, it is still far cheaper than London. As no accommodation is provided during the 10 week internship, I understand a large proportion of what you are earning has to be spent covering your accommodation and living costs. As someone from Edinburgh I was able to stay at home which was great as I didn't have to spend money on accommodation.

The nightlife in Edinburgh is pretty good in general, and with the Festival and Fringe on in August there is a wide variety of shows and events that you can attend. However, this is prime tourist season so the city gets pretty busy, with costs in general going up - especially if you are in any kind of short term accommodation.

Due to the size of the office there weren't any large scale activities available, however, there were opportunities to socialise with Adam & Co colleagues. There were activities available in the larger RBS group, but it was exceedingly difficult to get involved in these due to time and location constraints.