Financial Planning Analyst Review

I enjoyed the placement very much. As it fits perfectly into my curriculum vitae and matches my qualifications and interests, I had and still have a really good time working for Siemens Financial Services in the UK. In the future, I would consider a permanent role in this business and this department.

I felt very valued by my colleagues including my manager. My skills and knowledge from university and previous internships and work placements turned out to be helpful for the role and the tasks I had to complete. I was able to add value to my team by showing other perspectives and views on certain tasks and processes.

My manager treated me like a normal permanent colleague. Therefore we had one-two-one meetings regularly to catch up on tasks and to discuss my aims regarding tasks and training during the period I worked there. Moreover, I received a kick-off on all my tasks and was encouraged to ask questions should I have any problems or queries. The aim was for me to properly understand my tasks and why I was doing them.

In my first weeks, I had sometimes few things to do, as I needed time to get my head around tasks and projects or was facing problems in setting up everything. After that, on a daily basis I had always several things to work on. Of course, there were deadlines coming up regularly, therefore there were days that were more and some days that were less busy, so that I could catch up on less urgent tasks.

I could proof that I have appropriate qualifications and knowledge which I gained from my studies and those were very useful and helpful for the projects I was working on. Therefore I was trusted with my own responsibilities I worked on and that I regularly presented to my manager and colleagues, also from other teams and departments.

I can definitely say that I have learned a lot during my time in this company. As I worked on tasks and projects that were closely connected to my studies, I was able to gain practical experience in that field and expand my theoretical knowledge. On a daily basis I used software and systems which are very common in business and had a chance to familiarise myself.

I worked in an open plan office. Apart from being quite cold and dark because of air condition and closed curtains, it was a very friendly atmosphere with kind and social colleagues. Still it was calm enough to work and be in a good mood.

My work placement was well organised. On my first days I spent some time with different colleagues who introduced me to basic things like organisational structure and systems. This was very helpful, although the explanation of all systems could have been in even more detail. As expected, it took me some time to get to know colleagues and the tasks their departments have.

I had some trainings on software and systems that were very helpful. But most support I received from my colleagues who showed me specific processes and techniques that I could use. That was probably the best training I could get as it was very specific and focused on me and my existing knowledge. There is also a whole platform with trainings for each department that I wish I could spend more time on.

A future job perspective is very appealing as there are good opportunities in developing my knowledge and qualifications as well as interesting and demanding tasks and projects to work on. Apart from that, a role in this field is well paid and there is a very nice working atmosphere and support from colleagues and managers.

There were several interns and some colleagues of the same age that I spent time with, also in my free time.

The cost of living, transport and socialising is quite high. Especially transportation to the workplace and home turned out to be quite complicated.

Nightlife was alright. In my area there were several decent clubs, pubs and bars, I tries some of them and it was mostly good fun.

There were some opportunities to meet and get to know people outside of work, for example there was a summer party or some special events for interns and graduates. Those were events organised by the company, so it was mostly work related. Apart from that, there are some opportunities to meet other people, but it turned out to be quite difficult as it is either hard to find something interesting or not worth the effort for the short period of time.