Customer Operations Risk and Fraud Intern Review

Very friendly culture and there are always people that you can meet to gain an insight into the company. The work I was doing was very related to my interests and I was surrounded by people who, despite being different to myself, I got on very well with. The way the internship programme and graduate scheme link was fantastic as it allowed opportunities to socialise with others from around the business areas as well as opportunities to have a night out! All of this made this a very enjoyable internship.

The team I was part of could not have been any more accommodating and welcoming. They always showed an interest in what I thought regarding a process or task and often asked if there was any way things could be improved. At no point did I feel I was holding back a task or the team. The team always made sure I took credit for work I had submitted and that others knew who had done the work also.

As a small team of 3, I had a lot of contact and work with my manager and team colleague. Prior to any task they would take me trough what the task was, why we had to complete it and what I had to do. I felt free to ask as many questions as I liked and the team always offered to help out. They were also supportive of my out of work activities that involve swim teaching and they were happy to help with my CV.

The nature of the work in our team meant that sometimes there were not many tasks needing done. However, sometimes I did feel I could be doing something for them. Despite this I have enjoyed the work I have done and would recommend the team to anyone. The tasks I had to do were very interesting and certainly a career interest going forward.

Whilst I did have my own tasks to do, I did rely on the team a lot and may have been a bit better to have a completely individual project. However, I love working in a good dynamic team so it didn't bother me greatly that I wasn't 100% in charge of a task. Hearing from other interns and grads, it does seem to depend on the nature of the work you do and the team you are in.

I used a lot of analysis and general listening/searching for key information throughout my tasks. Calls that were potentially fraudulent would come in and I would listen for anything that 'did not sound right' with the call. I would also investigate the history of customer plans to find if there had been any unusual behaviour or if there were recent changes of details that may have been fraud. Going forward these are skills I will definitely have to use in my research for my dissertation and when writing essays.

Happy, welcoming atmosphere where I felt confident to ask other people in different areas questions about what they do. Managers are approachable, albeit busy, so booking time with them was easy in the sense they were happy to meet you. People are always up for a coffee and chat here.

Organisation was pretty spot on. Each week we had an email from one of the graduates outlining the week's activities and challenges. it started as setting some goals but then challenged you to set up meetings with others including graduates and other colleagues. events were also well structured, although sometimes I think they struggled to get speakers with different backgrounds (i.e. had multiple talks from actuaries which was interesting but not an area I will likely ever be part of).

They massively invested. Other interns received accommodation and there are free facilities that we are able to make use of. Each week there were opportunities to take part in an activity. Standard Life also were very supportive of my request to work 4 days as I work with another company on a Friday. Despite missing a day, they did all they could to ensure I was still part of all the activities and opportunities.

I will definitely be looking to work in Standard Life again, or Standard Life Phoenix... whatever its name, if the culture is anything like it has been, I would be happy to work here. Due to the massive amount of change going on, no future job can be guaranteed but my team were supportive of my prospects to come back.

There was a great social scene as activities brought us all together and there were events that were outside of work that allowed for more socialising. The graduates were also a massive part of our internship as they attended social events. Lunchtimes were also an opportunity as all grads and interns sat together.

Unfortunately, I live a 20min train journey from Edinburgh so did not qualify for accommodation. this meant I have spent a relatively high amount on train travel but if you are far way enough, Standard Life will provide FREE accommodation which means living costs and close to none.

Edinburgh has a massive night life, albeit slightly expensive. There were lots of opportunities to go out after work or even just grab a bite to eat at the end of the day at either a small restaurant or pub or at Nandos :)

I think there are a lot of social clubs or sports clubs that are linked to Standard Life however this isn't something I got involved in. There is an internal site that shows events happening outside of work and then a page that recommends places around the city that are good for food/drinks/entertainment and so on. It also shows where we can get a discount.