Summer Analyst Review

I really enjoyed the whole experience of working for the Bank of England. The first week or so was slow (naturally), as I was reading about the internal processes of what my team does and how to approach my project. After this, the workload picked up and I was busy doing my project and other business as usual tasks. The work I was given wasn't busy work or menial tasks created especially for me - it was something had would've otherwise been done by a full time analyst. This was great as I felt useful throughout my time.

My team had lost a few members and consequently was quite small. This meant I was given proper tasks to complete, and as a result I felt quite valued by my colleagues. I was also given the opportunity to work on smaller projects for other teams, which meant I felt quite valued by other members of the division too.

The support was fantastic. I worked very closely with an analyst on my team, who was always willing to help with any questions I had. My manager was busy but nevertheless made time for me to ask (technical) questions about my project or the work I was doing at the time.

There were days where I came in early and left quite late, and this wasn't a bad thing - I was working toward a deadline and the hours went quickly. There were also days (toward the end of the internship) where I didn't have too much on and as such I was twiddling my thumbs a bit. Most of the time, however, I feel there was a good balance.

My main project was something that my team had to produce regardless of whether they had an intern or not. The other tasks I was given were also pieces of work that the team needed to get done. I was treated like a proper analyst and given a good amount of responsibility (bearing in mind I was completely new and only there for a number of weeks). There was no hand-holding, but at the same time if I needed help support was always there.

I would say the work I did is not directly relevant to my degree as it is very technical and sector specific. I would say, however, that the skills I have learnt would be directly transferable to any similar role within the financial industry. Additionally, the soft-skills which I have developed will definitely be useful going forward.

It was quite quiet most of the time, but people were always friendly and willing to have a chat. I feel the atmosphere was conducive to work (which is good), but colleagues were unafraid to talk or catch up with others. While the world cup and Wimbledon was on, some TVs around the office would show the matches.

Really well organised in terms of the actual work we were doing with our individual teams. We slotted in very seamlessly and everyone knew that they were able to give us work. I would say that HR could've done a better job of organising more socials - they only did one for all the interns, and this was during the first week. Possibly a social half way through and definitely a leaving social would be good.

There is extensive material on the internal system which an intern can access. The information is great for learning about the BoE or finance in general. In terms of at a team level, I was taken on a client visit, given the opportunity to present at a committee, and always had support from colleagues.

Really good. The interns are rated on an internal scale, and if we receive a good rating by our managers we are considered for a graduate job (without having to apply again). It is worth remembering that the BoE is public sector, and so pay is not comparable to investment banks/private sector. This being said, the work-life balance is hard to beat whilst still working for an extremely important organisation at the forefront of the economy.

A good number of other interns were up for going out after work and meeting up. There are always going to be different types of people, but I felt it was easy to get along with at least some of the other interns. People are friendly and happy to grab a drink or two most of the time, and there was a limited feeling of competition for a graduate place.

It's the City - drinks, food and everything costs loads (especially if you are at university outside of London and not used to London prices). I wouldn't expect to save a lot from the pay, especially if you have to rent a place for the 8 weeks. But its all part of the fun.

London has everything and you can get any type of night you're looking for. Around Bank, there are loads of pubs, bars and restaurants so there's plenty places to go. From Bank, its easy to get anywhere around London so meeting friends who work at other places isn't too much trouble.

Not particularly, but if you want to do something with colleagues/interns you can be proactive and set it up.