Account Manager Support - Intern Review

I really enjoyed how social and 'relaxed' the bank is. Compared with other banks I have had experience working in, it has been such a low pressured environment in comparison and because of this I have been able to perform by best. The regular bank and intern socials have also been a plus!

Yes, the branch I was placed in was small so I had many tasks to keep me busy and always offered to help above and beyond role when my confidence grew over time. Due to the size of our team I could easily understand the importance of each task I was preforming and the value the value it added to the branch and bank

There was a 3 day intern induction at Head Office set up by the HR team, which helped us understand the fundamentals of the role and allowed us to meet the other RL interns on the programme. This helped us ease into the role much more seamlessly as we knew what to expect working in the branch. I also had great support from the team. Every element of the role was thoroughly explained and I never once felt uncomfortable or intimidated asking for help/ guidance from the team when I struggled with tasks. I was also fortunate to have colleagues that had progressed through the AMS internship onto the permanent AMS role and another that progressed to become and Individual banking manager which gave me more confidence as they experienced almost exactly what I was going through.

The first couple of weeks in branch were a little slow, mainly because of delays with getting set up on the system and my lack of knowledge but it started to pick up once I got the hand of things and as I started to take on more responsibility. Additionally, we were given an interns presentation group project to do as a background task and training to complete so there was never a period where I was twiddling my thumbs at my desk.

I was given quite a lot of responsibility. The Account Manager Support (AMS) internship scheme is designed to train you up for a full time AMS role following the internship, so I was preforming a significant proportion of the tasks that the AMS colleagues were doing. There was a strong support system from my fellow AMS’ and supervisor in case I had any difficulty with the tasks.

The AMS role is heavily admin based, so my attention to detail, time management and organisation skills improved. I also improved my customer service skills and telephone manner, when customers would call regarding enquiries and when I would phone customers to confirm information/details. These skills have given me confidence for any future customer facing role I wish to pursue. Additionally I developed a stronger understanding of how the UK banking system operates which I found helpful for my own personal knowledge.

The atmosphere is very friendly and lively. We always have the radio on in the background and some non-work related conversation, so there is never a dull or silent moment in the office. Me and my team also loved to snack, so we would take turns brining in biscuits or treats to share.

The programme was very well organised. The HR team did a very thorough job training us interns during the 3 day induction, before we were all dispatched to our allocated branches. All of the inters were given folders and documents that contained details of who/ which department to contact for any queries, clear explanations of any banking jargon and the key dates for further intern events.

A lot was invested in us. Handelsbanken have been working to progress graduates from the internship into full time roles within the bank if they wish. The AMS internship role is almost entirely the same tasks as the permanent AMS role, so the investment that is made during the training makes you very competent and able to perform the permanent AMS role well.

It is very appealing because the values of Handelsbanken align with mine. There is a strong culture of employee development. We have meetings every two weeks with the branch manager to track progress towards the personal goals you set yourself. There is great opportunity for career progression from the AMS role to Individual/corporate banking manager and the culture here is very humble and friendly.

Yes, there are monthly drinks on the last Friday of the month, coinciding with pay day. The younger colleagues of the bank tend to go but it is a great opportunity to get to know and speak to others outside of your branch. Individual branches also have regular ad hoc social drinks and team events.

I was working at one of the central London branches, in one of the affluent areas so drinking and eating out was rather expensive. I was living in London with my parents during my placement and grew up here so the cost of living was not a very big issue as I did not have to pay for rent.