RFP Intern Review

The Summer Internship at Aberdeen Standard Investments was a fantastic way to gain an understanding of the company and all of its capabilities. There was a great mix of group learning as well as time spent in my allocated team working on tasks and contributing to the team progress. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming.

I felt extremely valued by my colleagues, both those in my team and also in the wider company. I was given the chance to meet people in different teams within the company who were more than happy to talk about their team, their experience and the company and offer some general advice.

The support and guidance from my Manager and also my 'Buddy' were fantastic. They ensured throughout the internship that I had enough work to keep me busy, and also that I fully understood the work I was completing. This meant I felt comfortable to ask for help where needed which meant I could regularly produce high quality work. This made the experience really engaging.

On a daily basis I was busy with meetings, working on internal team projects, helping out with tasks for my colleagues. As the weeks progressed and I gained more experience I was given more exposure to tasks for clients and given more responsibility. I was then given real tasks which would go out to clients. If I needed more tasks, I was encouraged to let my team know which was always well received.

As the weeks progressed I was given more responsibility to work on tasks for clients. This worked really well as I felt confident after a few practice tasks that I could work on some real tasks. I had full support from my Manager and 'Buddy' who would always ensure I was talked through the task before starting. My work was then always checked before being sent off so I could understand where to improve for next time.

The skills I developed included working to deadlines effectively, managing expectations with clients, creating connections with colleagues across different teams throughout the business and also paying attention to detail. This training will assist me beyond the internship as it has enabled a time to practice communication skills both verbally and written.

The atmosphere in the office was warm and friendly. Everyone was happy to chat and engage with the interns. It was a very sociable office, with colleagues of all levels ready to take the time to offer advice or guidance when asked. It made the experience really enjoyable and was easy to engage with the company's values.

The internship was extremely well organised from start to finish. We had weekly emails with goals and thinking points for that week, as well as news updates. There were also weekly activities or leaning sessions that meant all the interns came together. This made it a really enjoyable and sociable experience.

The company offered a great deal in the way of personal training and development. From the weekly sessions, workshops and discussions, there was a lot of time taken to provide learning and offer advice and support. Additionally, colleagues were always ready to help and offer advice which meant there was support from all sides.

To work with the organisation is very appealing! The company has great values which match the culture and ethos of the workplace environment. The work is engaging and fulfilling and there are always opportunities to learn more. There is also encouragement and support to gain further qualifications to help with your career.

The social scene was great - there were a couple of social events organised by the company to begin with. After that we as interns organised our own social events to catch up after work. The Grads were also really welcoming, inviting us to social events after work too which was a great way to meet more people in the company.