Investments Intern at Standard Life Aberdeen

Duration
Internship (1-4 Months)
Region
London Central London and City
Review Date
Salary
£20,000 - £21,999
Roles
Banking/Finance Financial Management

7.1/10

The Role
7.7
Organisation
6.6

Socialising

7.0

The Role

Role Description

10 week internship, placed in an asset class and remained there for the duration

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

SLA gave me a fantastic introduction to the world of asset management, and I thoroughly enjoyed the 10 weeks I spent there. My colleagues were fantastic, and I was given the chance to develop my skills by working on real problems, as well as having autonomy over a project for the duration of my internship. I would highly recommend the experience.

8/10

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

The team were absolutely fantastic at making sure I understood difficult concepts, and I was always able to ask them if I had any questions. They were also good at organising social events and including me in these

10/10

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

My manager was careful to ensure I always had the skills and knowledge I needed to carry out my job, and was always honest and offered helpful feedback that allowed me to improve and work on my weaknesses.

7/10

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

During the middle weeks I had plenty of work to do, working on a couple of projects and preparing for my final presentation. However the beginning and end of the internship were quite slow in terms of work flow, which I suppose is to be expected.

6/10

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

I was given a project that I had pretty much free rein over, and was given all the tools and support to investigate a number of areas. On another project, I was heavily involved in meeting with parties outside of the SLA group.

7/10

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

The Excel course at the beginning of the internship was particularly helpful, as I was able to apply these skills throughout the 10 weeks. They try to organise 1 "skills session" per week for the interns, which complements the learning you are doing on the job.

8/10

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

My team were great and we had a lot of fun during the day and socialising after work. More generally, there is still a lot of discontent surrounding the merger and the aftermath. Quite a lot of senior people are leaving as well.

6/10

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

The regular skills sessions were well organised, and we received a weekly email detailing plans for the week ahead. I didn't get my project until the 3rd week and I had to find it myself, whereas HR had implied that we would be given a project on day 1.

6/10

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

As mentioned, weekly skills sessions showed that SLA wanted to invest in us: Excel training, communication skills and presentation skills were just some examples of this.

8/10

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

  • Company Parties/Events
  • Above 25 days holiday
5/10

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

SLA operate a fantastic rotational graduate scheme that I would recommend to anyone.

8/10

Social

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

Yes very good, although mainly organised ourselves rather than by the firm. They did put on a leaving drinks on our last day.

9/10

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

Central London so predictably high - managers/colleagues were very generous about paying for things though!

6/10

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

London again, so plenty of different options but quite expensive

5/10

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

There were a number of networks that you could join, and some of the interns got involved with company sports teams etc

8/10

More reviews from Standard Life Aberdeen

More reviews from Standard Life Aberdeen