Summer associate Review

by Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.1/5
  • The Role
    4.3
  • The Company
    4.2
  • The Culture
    3.8

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • I enjoyed the internship very much, it was very interesting and I was always doing something. I was never bored, and my managers provided activities that allowed me to see what it would be like to work within enforcement on a normal day. I would recommend this internship to others.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • I felt extremely valued by my colleagues, as they always asked me to help them with tasks they were unable to complete on their own, and they explained everything so that I was not just working without context. Due to the time of the internship however sometimes I was given menial tasks and admin.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My manager was extremely supportive and gave me a number of tasks that were useful to see how working in this department is like. She did a great job scheduling weekly meetings so I was never left without guidance and I never felt like I didn't know what I was doing.

    5/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • I was busy constantly as I always had something do. Sometimes these tasks were vital towards cases, and other times they were more administration tasks, but either way I was busy all the time. I would however prefer if I was busy doing more challenging work rather than admin sometimes.

    4/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was given a medium level of responsibility. Within the department I was working, it is very difficult to be given a high level of responsibility but my manager made sure that I was given important tasks that she would later check. Therefore the level of responsibility was at a medium level.

    4/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • It has greatly helped me to see how economics is used within the financial regulators directly, as the policies implemented are often analysed after they have had time to take effect. I also utilised the mathematics within economics and the analytical skills during my every day tasks and activities, so I believe they have assisted me.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The general atmosphere was very positive and still hardworking. Everyone did the work they were assigned, but there was still friendly chit chat that is necessary for a work place. Overall it was a very uplifting place to work, despite the tense atmosphere sometimes caused by the impending office shift.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The internship was very well organised as the managers knew we were coming already, so made sure there was a lot of work ready for me to be done. HR were also constantly in contact and easy to contact so it was useful to have them there whenever help was needed.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • The company invested a lot of time into me, especially my manager, who took time out to plan what I was going to do and to have frequent meetings with me. The first few days were also filled with valuable training that helped me develop my personal attitude towards working.

    5/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Subsidised Canteen

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Working from home

    3/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • I would love to work here in the future, as this internship has opened me up to the idea of working at a regulator rather than a financial firm. Being the only regulator in the UK, I would love to work with this organisation in the future. It has been an eye opening experience.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • Yes there was a good social scene, we regularly met up for drinks as the interns. However, there is very little interaction between graduates and interns, which would be a point of improvement- having a friend who had been through the same process would have been very valuable for the interns.

    5/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Extremely high due to us being mainly based in Canary Wharf.

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Being based in Canary Wharf, there are a significant number of bars, that are all packed out in the Summer, which provides a good atmosphere. There are also clubs within half an hour on the tube. In stratford, there are also many bars which are good for nightlife for interns and employees.

    5/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • There were a few but not a lot

    3/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

Financial Management

London

August 2018


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