Sky Finance Internship Review

I really enjoyed my 5-week virtual internship experience at sky. Throughout my time on the programme, I not only got to network and learn more about the world of finance from different Sky employees, but I also got to interact with the other interns and get to know them. Everyone was really friendly and easy to get on with. My line manager and buddy, as well as the rest of my team, were always on hand to help me whenever I needed it.

I definitely felt valued in that when I was set a piece of work by a team member which I could've completed with very little contextual knowledge on how the work would be used within the company, the team member would make sure to call and explain the wider purpose of the task. I also got to sat in on meetings with different business areas, including finance, and see how finance was involved in their discussions.

I received a lot of my support throughout my time as an intern. My line manager would have daily catch-ups with me to check that I had enough work to do, but not so much that it became overbearing. Her and my buddy (on the graduate scheme) would also have regular calls with me where I could ask any questions. We were also assigned a 4-week intern project outside of our team focused work, during which we were assigned a project support which helped greatly to ensure we were on the right track throughout the duration of the project.

I developed my excel and powerpoint skills, two skills which are essential for any future career. I also improved my communication skills, both through working with the other interns on a project and having one on one chats with team members. I also learnt more about finance terms such as NPV's which will definitely be useful in my degree come next year when I complete modules such as financial economics. Finally, I greatly improved my organisational and time-management skills to ensure I balanced my time between my teams' work and my intern project work.

It was a lot better structured than I had anticipated. The first week was let by HR and consisted of introductory talks and skills session. The following time was then spent with the finance department. My buddy scattered calls throughout the 4 weeks in my calendar with various team members where they would explain their role etc. Also, the addition of the intern project meant we also got to interact with the other interns on a regular basis, given we were all assigned to different finance teams.

Really friendly and comfortable. I never felt nervous asking anyone questions, whether that was my line manager or another team member. Also, the HR team would regularly check up on us to ensure we were making the best use of our times. I also had general coffee chats with team members about non-work things which helped to bridge the gap between a virtual vs. a face to face experience. Overall, everyone was very easy to get on with.

We were given LinkedIn learning licenses which were valid for the duration on the internship. We were also provided with recommendations of what courses would be best to do for aspiring finance professionals. As well as this, we had skills sessions on a number of areas include impactful presenting and agile working, which is especially relevant given the time we're in now. Also, I had regular calls for excel help with team members who also taught me some quick shortcuts.

We got to attend a virtual grad forum and speak to grads about how their experience on the graduate scheme has been as well as how the CIMA qualification which you complete works. I also spoke to graduates in my team, from those who were still in their first year to those who had just completed the scheme, who could tell me more about what the grad scheme is like i.e. the rotations throughout the 3 years.

All of us finance interns got to have a call with Colin Smith, Sky's CFO, where he told us about why he loves working at Sky as well as all the initiatives Sky is involved in i.e. Sky Zero etc. I also had a team session with my finance team on privilege and how to use your privilege. Overall, through a combination of regular talks on Sky's culture and listening to others' experiences, I definitely got the feeling that Sky's culture is very welcoming and inclusive.

It provided me with great insight into what working in finance within industry is like, which is exactly what I wanted to get out of the experience. Also, I was introduced to some of the more accounting specific work that goes on as well as how the CIMA exams are structured so I could think about whether I thought this is something I would enjoy doing. However, I do feel there could've been a more thorough session explaining how financial statements etc. work as I was a complete beginner.

I was paid for the 5-weeks I spent at Sky and I believe the amount I received was adequate. This is as we completed regular work days, from roughly 9-5 everyday and put in a lot of effort into the work we completed. Regardless though, I would've completed the virtual experience whether it was paid or not as it provides you with an insight into what working after graduating is like and enables you to see what works best for you.

Given this experience was virtual, it was harder to network with employees. However, we were given the option to perhaps come into the office for a day should we wish to although I did not take this up due to other unrelated concerns. However, I was still able to have many virtual coffee-chats with employees, across not just my team, which I found really beneficial in understanding the kind of work I found most interesting.

I added many of my team-members on LinkedIn who I'm sure I will stay in contact with in the future. I also got to speak with heads of finance and other team members who spent time listening to my thoughts regarding a future career and what my next steps should be in order to get there. Sky also does regular graduate forums where graduates come together for socials. Although it was the first virtual one, I was able to sit in one which was both engaging and fun. However, I wasn't able to experience any go these socials first-hand given the internship was virtual.

Absolutely. We had many sessions in the first week and even after which mentioned the many groups you can get involved in and Sky's 'Bigger Picture' initiative. Through speaking one on one with employees I also got to learn more about activities that some employees are involved with. We also had access to Yammer and today@Sky, platforms which regularly provided updates within Sky's different initiatives. I was also impressed by Sky's efforts into making a more equal workforce, with networks such as women@sky helping to achieve this.

I would definitely recommend this virtual experience to anyone. The fact that Sky still went ahead and put together a virtual condensed internship for us speaks to the company culture and how it is invested in the development of the future workforce, given many other companies cancelled their internships altogether. I learnt a lot throughout the internship, both skills wise and about Sky in general as a company, and felt very welcomed and included the entirety of the internship.