Summer Intern 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

3/5
  • The Role
    2.5
  • The Company
    3.5
  • The Culture
    3.1

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • The work was very varied and interesting with opportunities to experience other teams and departments. There was a very welcoming atmosphere. Work was occasionally thin on the ground but speaking to other interns, this was not a universal experience. I would consider the FCA as a future employer for sure - pay was better than other public or quasi-public bodies.

    3/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • My colleagues tried exceptionally hard to make me feel welcome and valued. My line manager gave me appropriate and constructive feedback and really helped me develop my skills. Everyone was open to talking to me about their role and providing me with any help I needed without a second thought.

    3/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • My manager was exceptional at providing support and advice - especially during the first few weeks of my internship. He took time out of his busy day to explain exactly how the department worked - and even the basics of accounting when I needed it. It was obvious that care and attention had gone into the preparation for my arrival within the team by my manager.

    3/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • The only issue (if you could call it that) with the internship was that work was occasionally thin on the ground. I would attribute this to how busy my team was mainly - there was some stuff that I couldn't get in involved in due to required capabilities or vetting

    3/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was given an appropriate amount of responsibility - I was able to complete a project that got raised to a senior level but I always felt I had support and that I wasn't "thrown in the deep end". This was important as I was quite nervous coming in and would not have wanted unlimited responsibility.

    3/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I learned and refreshed many skills during my internship. Microsoft office skills will always come in handy in degree studies and in any future workplace and I refreshed my knowledge of the coding language VB, which is another important skill that I will be able to include on my CV.

    3/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • Everyone was very friendly and there was chatting occasionally - though not enough to be distracting or annoying - except one persons phone which would randomly blare out the friends theme. I don't think many offices are an entire bundle of fun but there are plenty of facilities and good people.

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • The FCA as a whole has a very well structured programme with career development opportunities, working lunches, and training. the rest of the organisation is left to individual temas and so can vary depending on your department / team, and manager. There is a clear development structure and clear targets for meetings on your development.

    4/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • All manners of training were available, should you require or show an interest in it. Again, the depth and amount they would be willing to invest will vary depending on team and manager. In reality, you're only there for ten weeks and they put in an amount on the higher end of appropriate.

    4/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    Working from home

    3/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • If your manager recommends you, you are offered a place on the grad scheme. As far as I know at the moment, a large majority of interns get offered a place as the calibre of intern is quite high. Transferring from the department you did your internship is more tricky and requires shadowing before your intership ends.

    5/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • If you like that sort of thing, the interns organised group events pretty consistently via a Facebook messenger chat. I believe that in the grad programme it can be a bit more fragmented due to the amount of grads that are taken on into the programme, but for the interns it was relatively good.

    3/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • 2/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • 4/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • 4/5

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Details

Internship (1 Month+)

London

August 2019


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