Finance Intern Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed my year at ASOS. I have been able to enhance my technical ability as well as learn about the field of work i want my future career to be in. I have been given a huge amount of responsibility and have been supported and encouraged throughout.

From day one, everyone made me feel like a valued member of the finance department, you really are treated like any other employee. The role involves being responsible for a number of highly important files that management use to make future decisions, it is really rewarding to see that your work is valued and being used to aid the success of ASOS.

Right from the start my line manager set out various objectives for me to meet throughout my year. She pushed me to participate in activities that allowed me to develop a huge variety of skills and get the most out of my year. I was also given a buddy whom, along with my manager and everyone else within the team was always happy to answer any questions i had.

This varied depending on the number of deadlines within that week and the time of year. If there were adhoc projects to complete on top of BAU activities then a lot of hard work and long hours came into play however, this time was always remunerated by my manager. Even during quieter periods there is always something you can help your team out with so there aren't any days of doing nothing!!

My role at ASOS involved a huge amount of responsibility, definitely a lot more than i thought i would have. Whilst at first this can be a little daunting, i had a huge amount of support from my team to ensure i wasn't overwhelmed with the amount i had to achieve. This level of responsibility has really helped me to push myself and get as much out of the year as possible.

I have developed a number of skills during my year at ASOS. The more technical skills (Excel and business operating systems) will definitely be beneficial to my future career however i will not use these as part of my university course. The more softer skills that i have enhanced such as presenting, time management and my attention to detail will greatly benefit my approach and confidence in my final year of university.

ASOS has a very fast paced and intense working environment but is really fun!!!. The office is set up to be an agile working space (ie you sit wherever is free each morning) and is very open plan which allows you to interact with all levels of the organisation. There is always music playing and it is very social however everyone does work very hard!

ASOS has a structured intern program run by HR which is very organised and provided us with monthly development and feedback sessions to make sure we were happy and getting as much as possible out of the year. My specific intern role within the finance department has to be well organised as my work is structured my deadlines each week. I had weekly 1-2-1s with my manager to discuss tasks and anything i needed support on.

I took part in monthly intern development sessions run by HR which included presenting skills, building a LinkedIn profile and having courageous conversations. Also, my manager created a PDP (personal development plan) with me to highlight my strengths and any areas i could improve in which pushed me to participate in activities that took me out of my comfort zone.

I would love to come back to ASOS after i have graduated. Working in the finance department is definitely fast paced and challenging but the people are so fun and i have made friends for life! There are no guaranteed jobs at the end of placement but a number of interns have been given permanent jobs in the past.

Having monthly meetings with all the interns allowed us to all get to know each other really well and we did have a couple of nights out together. However, the finance department is really sociable and we have a lot of nights out together. I spent more time with my team than with the other interns.

Living and working in central London was never going to be easy, it has definitely been a struggle as rent and socialising is easily double the price of up north. As long as you keep on top of what you are spending and don't do too many ASOS orders each month you can just about get by! Plus no one ever lets interns by drinks at the pub!

The office is based in Camden which has a great nightlife and is super close to two tube stations and the overground so it is easy for getting home. The local pub is full with ASOSers most thursdays and fridays but there are also a number of good cocktail bars and restaurants near by.

ASOS encourages you to get involved in 'Give a Day Away' which allows you to take a day off to volunteer at a local charity. Finance also have a number of away days, our latest one was based around personality testing and how to interact with other personality types both inside and outside of work. We also have a finance sports day and lots of socials.