Account Manager Support Intern Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Handelsbanken Internship program. It has given me a variety of experiences within the UK Banking environment and has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of the industry. The colleagues I worked with were outstanding and always willing to give me more experience. Support was always available throughout the program, with everyone within the whole organisation being readily contactable. The training provided allowed me to feel confident within my role and deliver value straight away. On top of this the role helped me settle into London as I had only just recently moved to the UK before commencing the program. It is also important to consider that this was my first internship program experience, so I do not have any other programs to compare this too.

As a Handelsbanken intern you are highly valued by all your colleagues. From my first day of starting the internship, I was given responsibility and tasks which directly added value to the business. Throughout the program my colleagues asked for my thoughts an opinions on various situations within the bank and asked for recommendations of what actions to take. This culminated in taking away a large amount of experience from the internship as well as leaving the organisation with the feeling of being valued and delivering value.

My supervisor gave me a large amount of support and guidance throughout the program. This occurred formally with reviews at the 3rd and 6th week of the program. Within these reviews we looked at what I had undertaken within my role, what other tasks could I be doing and it also looked at my performance over the period. On top of this I was given guidance by colleagues on what else I could be undertaking within my role and advice on how they approach tasks. Finally informal meetings were had with my supervisor and colleagues to discuss my career and options for my future.

During the program there was always something to do as an intern. Workloads within the internship program are highly dependent on which branch you work within. It is also what you make of it as an intern. There are plenty of opportunities to take on new tasks if you chase them. During my internship it was a slower period within the bank, due to external factors and it also being the summer holidays. But I was still able to find a multitude of tasks which helped me learn and deliver value to the organisation, keeping myself occupied.

The Handelsbanken internship program allows for interns to have a high amount of responsibility within their roles. Personally I was given the responsibility and trust from my colleagues to meet with clients and make decisions within the branch within my first couple of weeks. As the program further developed and I became more familiar with the systems in place I was given further responsibility in regards to clients and decision making processes.

The skills and knowledge developing during the program has given me a strong knowledge base and practical understanding of banking before commencing my Masters in Finance. It will allow me to draw on practical experiences to understand concepts throughout my studies and gain a deeper understanding as I have seen the concepts in practice.

The branch I assigned to was fantastic. It was relaxed but professional, with everyone taking work seriously. Creating an atmosphere were you can look for help, ask any question and all get along. Everyone enjoyed there work and actively helped each other while still having fun. It was a great environment to be in and I always enjoyed going into work.

The internship was high structured and organised. With set plans for what interns should learn and tasks they should complete. Training events and conference days were very well organised and planned in advance. The only organisational issue I encountered was that specific branch IT systems were not set up upon my arrival, which only slightly impacted the tasks I could undertake.

The company organised initially upon starting of the program, three full training days to prepare for the role. This included soft and technical skills. On top of this online training was conducted as soon as you entered the branch through their internal development portal. further development was provided with events being held at head office to understand the business further and career paths available to you. Finally my local HR representative personally called me to check on training and answer any queries.

The organisation was actively looking to hire talent for the future and made it clear if you performed well during the placement roles were available. Within reviews and in taking with managers this was always a consideration and you would have discussions on the potential to turn the internship into a full time role.

There was a large social scene within the company, with events happening throughout the internship. This allowed me to meet other colleagues within the bank to gain a better understanding of the organisation. Events were also organised for the interns, which allowed us to compare experiences and gain a greater understanding of our roles. The social events are what you make of it and if you get involved there are plenty of opportunities to meet and network with people.

Being within central London the cost of socializing and living was high, but not unmanageable. This would not be dissimilar to any other internship undertaken within central London and there are always options to make it more affordable. As this internship was branch based, it is highly dependent on where you are placed for the duration of your internship. Generally Handelsbanken looked at where you currently lived and placed you at a branch within a commutable distance, so it would not be a significantly different cost of living to your current situation.

Great nightlife with a large amount of bars and events happening all the time. Most evenings I would spend out in London after work. There was always something going on which suits anyone needs. As this internship was branch based, it is highly dependent on where you are placed for the duration of your internship.

There were opportunities to get involved with the bank in other events, but due to the length of the internship these opportunities were limited. If you are within the 12 week internship program there would be opportunities to get involved in other activities. This too is also somewhat branch dependent.