Research Assistant Review

The work at the Bank is really interesting and the people are so friendly and helpful, which has made working here really great. There are lots of opportunities at the Bank too, from attending interesting seminars with external speakers, to working in another department for a couple of weeks for experience. These things also contribute to how enjoyable the placement is.

Colleagues at the Bank really appreciate placement students and the work we do. They make it clear from the start that if you ever need help or guidance you can just ask. In my team, there is a tradition to go to lunch together and organise occasional social events which is great.

My manager has been very approachable and helpful from the beginning. Any time I needed guidance, I knew I could just ask and she would respond quickly and informatively. Everyone is keen to help out- especially when you are new. Fortnightly meetings with my manager helped us to keep on track with my work and acted as an opportunity to raise any queries, but even if I just sent an email or booked in a coffee with her I could get support that way too.

My responsibilities made my work a bit cyclical, sometimes I was really busy and had to stay late and others I wasn't so busy and could find time for other/less urgent projects. How busy you are day-to-day depends on where you end up working in the Bank, but there is a good work/life balance all round and I never felt time pressured or stressed. There is a flexible working culture at the Bank which means if you have to work late one day, you can leave slightly early another, as long as you make up your contracted hours- its great.

I always felt like the tasks I was working on were really important to other influential areas of the Bank/ the economy. I was given a range of different jobs/ tasks throughout the year which carried different levels of responsibility. There is only so much you can do as a research assistant though e.g. compared to an analyst or economist, but that is understandable.

Doing an economics degree and working within Monetary Analysis directorate at the Bank do go hand in hand. The skills/terminology I've learnt, and the first hand experience of how a central bank is run will help a lot throughout my final year and also in the early stages of my career if I go into central banking, finance, economic analysis etc. I also got to use various statistical softwares and attend training sessions for them which will help next year and beyond. The soft skills as well such as time management and using initiative, will prove invaluable as I progress in my degree and career.

My office was fairly quiet day-to-day, everyone is working very hard! But from time to time there is chatter and the atmosphere is never gloomy, people are friendly and enjoying their work. The atmosphere was pleasant, but quiet.

From the application process and throughout the year, the placement has been really well organised. Communication with HR has been great throughout the year, and the placement is really catered to the needs/ benefits of the student. At no time have I felt like I have been forgotten about or that things haven't run smoothly. It has definitely been a great process in terms of organisation.

There are lots of opportunities to go on training sessions and attend technical seminars and knowledge share events at the Bank. My personal responsibilities meant I haven't really needed / been able to go on a huge amount of these, but I know other placement students that have.

There is a Grad Scheme programme at the Bank, which I am hoping to get an offer for. Throughout the year you are encouraged to explore and get experience in other areas of the Bank, so that you have a nice choice when it comes to applying for a job. We haven't had to apply yet, but I think it's a pretty straight forward process (for the placement student at least!). as we have already done the assessment centre etc. To be able to work in some areas of the Bank on the Grad Scheme however, a masters degree is required.

There are around 35 of us on placement this year, and from the very beginning there was a great social scene and lots of after-work drinks/events together. Throughout the year the group as a whole broke off into smaller groups, but everyone has remained social within those groups and I think many people have made really great friends here.

The Bank is located in the City of London, so it's really expensive to live and socialise. I lived at home outside of London so I only saw first hand what the social costs were like, and it hasn't been cheap! The best thing to do is to find a few places to eat and drink that have deals such as happy hour. You're also earning money so you can sometimes afford to socialise in the city/other areas of London anyway- and it's really fun.

In London there is always something to do/ somewhere to go in the evenings or night times. There are some really great bars, pubs & clubs in pretty much every area of London. The only down side is the cost and the transport at night sometimes isn't the best- especially when the tubes shut etc.

There is a gym at the Bank which is great. There are also opportunities to get involved with sports outside of work such as 5-a-side football (I haven't been involved but know people who have and really enjoyed it). Other than that though I haven't seen much in the way of outside of work activities.