Account Manager Support -- Intern Review

I enjoyed the internship at Handelsbanken very much. The 8 weeks I spent in a branch went very quickly and the support from the branch and the team in the regional head office was fantastic. It made me feel settled straight away. Despite studying a degree in Geography, the branch had me involved in all sorts of banking activities and tasks and also involved many visits out to meet customers and potential clients. There was real responsibility and exposure to how the bank works from day 1.

The strength of Handelsbanken I feel is the staff. I immediately felt at home when starting my 8 week internship. It was my first role in a professional environment and the support and demeanour of everyone I had met in my 8 weeks were extremely accommodating, helpful and understanding.

I was given lots of guidance and help with tasks and I had responsibilities from day 1. The relatively flat structure of the company meant that I could speak to heads of department if necessary and could call or email them for any help or any questions I had. Handelsbanken seems to put a real emphasis on developing its staff.

The internship being in July/August meant that many customers were on holiday, so it was a quiet time in the branch. This meant plenty of down-time. I had also joined the particular branch during a time where there were many new members of the team joining so the normal flow/structure was disrupted. The internship didn't have much structure as the branches are decentralised and make their own decisions, which meant that my experience differed to other interns.

For an internship I was given a lot of responsibility. I could access many systems that are used on a daily basis and are crucial to the running of the bank. It also meant that I was dropped in the deep end -- however, the amount I learned during the 8 weeks was exceptional.

The internship set me up for full-time, permanent employment at Handelsbanken. I left the internship on a high and went into a full-time role in the bank. Undertaking the internship meant that I could immediately jump into tasks and make a real contribution to the role I am now in. It definitely set me up for a long-term career in banking.

The general atmosphere in the office was variable depending on the amount of work. However, it was a very welcoming place to be. My colleagues were all extremely friendly and helpful. However, due to the size of the office and the amount of work different members of the team had, it did vary.

The internship's structure was quite lacking, however this is possibly due to how the bank operates on its decentralised model. The internship had a recommended structure for branches to follow as much as they wanted to. The branch manager at my branch organised several visits to other branches for me to see how the branches vary. More tasks that have been designed for the internship to teach certain skills (e.g. data input, time management, in-tray exercises) during the daily tasks in down-times would've been helpful. The interns were given two tasks to work on during down-time which involved making two presentations to feed back observations on the branches. This was a good idea to get the interns communicating as there was quite a lot of disconnect between each branch (again, due to the decentralised model of the bank)

The bank invested a lot in my personal growth and development. The bank ensured that interns got to visit other areas of the bank -- be it the regional head office or other neighbouring branches. I was given a lot of training and coaching on how to use systems from day 1 and it meant that I could, by week 3, do some of the easier tasks without asking for help.

I started a full-time position one week after the internship ended. The networking that the internship allowed me to partake in set me up very well in joining a well-established team, as well as building up my confidence and communication skills in communicating with customers, my colleagues and other areas of the business. The bank really does care about your development and personal wellbeing. The culture of the company is very appealing to someone who had never given a thought to going into banking. Definitely apply!

No. Due to the decentralised model, interns were placed far from each other and this meant that there was no social scene at all. The work-life balance however, is extremely good. There were very few late finishes and the business is very accommodating for personal needs.

Lived at home during the internship, so this was not applicable. I did pay for trains into the town I had my internship in, but this wasn't a factor.

Again, lived at home during the internship as the branch I was placed in was relatively local. I did pay for trains into work, but this isn't applicable for me.

Not really, no. The work-life balance is excellent, but there weren't many opportunities for after-work socialising/activity. The 5pm finishes, however, did mean that I had the full evening to do anything I wanted to do.