Intern Review

Extremely enjoyable. Wide variety of tasks assigned which gave many opportunities to add genuine value to everyday operations. Placement objectives were challenging yet stimulating, which rapidly developed my technical skills. Gave an overall positive impression of the banking and finance industries, and is definitely a sector I will continue to be interested in.

Welcoming, approachable and inviting from Day One. Made to feel like a genuine member of the team, and a concentrated effort was made to integrate me into any current projects the team was working on. Also taken to many development days and wider activities, which allowed me to get to know my fellow interns better.

Challenging initially - my manager went on annual leave within a week of my internship. However, he prepared me extremely well and designated managerial responsibilities to a team member in his absence. Feedback was extremely valuable - it was critical whilst remaining constructive, and I saw my work develop rapidly in quality as a consequence.

Steady start before becoming extremely busy by the end of it. Three placement objectives kept me routinely busy, with a view to seeing definite improvement between the start and the end of the internship. Intern Project ensured collaborative activities when placement work stalled, whilst Grad Committee activities supplemented both of the above.

Great level of responsibility for an intern - one of my presentations resulting from my placement objectives was delivered and reviewed to my manager, who is considering approaching the client to discuss a potential relationship. This made my work appear valuable and important, and is the proudest piece of work emerging from the internship.

Time management skills will greatly help in the development of my dissertation, whilst prioritisation abilities will help in balancing this with my remaining commitments. Presentation skills have developed also - I will take this into my assessed presentations knowing I have improved my confidence, and developed my understanding of speaking to varied audiences.

Overall, the workplace was a very enjoyable place to be on most days. Given I worked in a small team, the connections were restricted but more meaningful as a result. Given this personal understanding, humour was everywhere, and any activities my team participated in also boosted the collective atmosphere and fun.

Communications were highly effective and efficient, communicated excellently whilst the important details were condensed for easy understanding. Placements were carefully selected and were extremely well coordinated. Onboarding was relatively stress-fee. Only issue is with software access, although no fault of the internship team alone. Extremely inefficient in gaining access to necessary systems, which somewhat disrupted the internship.

Many development days spent engaging with business specifics whilst providing networking opportunities with senior leaders, graduates and other interns. Attended a grad/intern exchange which allowed us to share experiences and common interests. Professional development provided through mandatory and additional learning, which for a history student, was much appreciated for getting us up to speed with the business.

I hope to progress towards the graduate scheme upon the internship's conclusion, which we were asked to consider our interest during our checkout interview. I requested to be involved with several graduate committees which has been received favourably. Overall, employment prospects are excellent if an individual satisfies the necessary criteria.

I was the only intern in my office, so the social scene between interns in office was relatively limited. Development days had a good social scene however, which compensated for it. Intern Programme staff managed two excellent start and end socials, which were probably the social highlight of the internship.

I commuted from home during my internship, so I have no experience with regards to living in the local area. Socialising, when occurring, was very good, plenty of good places to go and socialise in Leeds. Cost was overall good, and probably got greater value for money than if I was placed in London.

Again, with one exception, I have limited experience in this area. However, nightlife in Leeds is excellent with an abundance of restaurants, bars and nightclubs, so fi interested, one would find a nice selection of places to socialise outside the workplace. Overall, Leeds is an ideal place for experiencing nightlife.

Many opportunities. Grad committees always needed volunteers, and I became involved in many of these activities, which were genuinely rewarding. Volunteering opportunities with various charities were always available, and I became involved in many of these also. Also, there was a collective fundraising challenge, which we worked towards gradually.