Summer Intern Review

The culture of the FCA is fantastic - it is open, encouraging, and emphasises investment in its workers. The work I did was enjoyable too, I was involved in some unexpectedly high-level work for an intern. However, I was placed in a division where there was very little work to do. We provided a service and no one wanted it (people were on leave). I loved the work I did, but I spent more time seeking work than doing it.

Again, the FCA's culture is wonderful. I felt valued by my Line Manager and the organisation as whole. Weekly training events were put on, plus online modules. My Line Manager invited me to many high-level meetings and I felt my contributions were heard on merit (not dismissed from my inexperience). I was also involved in a variety of work over a variety of areas in my division.

My Line Manager was very supportive. We held weekly check-ins, were he often offered suggestions and encouragement to get more involved. He was contactable throughout the working day. HR and the Graduate team were equally supportive. They quickly responded to emails and were always helpful.

Sadly, I was placed in a division with little work to do. We provided a service and, with many people going on holiday, few people wanted it. I asked for more work, but hit an inevitable cap. I asked about secondment to busier divisions, but the unpredictability of service requests made it impractical. There were other, busier divisions and I knew interns getting great experience in them. Sadly, this wasn't my experience.

In the work I did, I was given significant responsibility. I was consistently stretched by the work. It ranged from helping write policy to designing data collections. I was often outside my comfort zone but other employees were always open to questions.

Basic interpersonal skills I developed will certainly help in future work. The determination to work 9 to 5 from home, mid-pandemic, is also invaluable. The same goes for skills I developed in my work - data collection, knowledge of software, the development of policy. The training, however, was not original to me. This reflects previous training I've had as a charity volunteer, more than the content of the training itself. For others, I'm certain it was incredibly helpful; it did still serve as a helpful reminder for me.

The FCA talks about its values and mission a lot. Thankfully, this is not simply empty talk. The culture of the FCA reflects the values it claims. I found senior employees helpful, open to questions and willing to invest in me. The attitude to work was one of dedication, without losing balance. Of course, working from home in a pandemic meant I can't speak to the physical office.

The internship was well planned, given it was the first online, distance internship due to Coronavirus. There were hitches - the internship was delayed three weeks and I felt the community project was given too much time in the schedule. But these are to be expected in a new, unpredictable situation. Besides these issues, the rest was well thought through. And, the FCA kindly paid us the full ten weeks, despite the three week delay.

The company invested lots of time in me as an intern. There were weekly trainings over Zoom. These lasted three hours each and covered topics from finance to presentation skills. There were also online modules to complete in our own time. These came alongside on-the-job training within my division - learning software tools such as Qualtrics, Javascript and Tableau.

I would look for work at the FCA in future. However, I would apply to another division, with more work to do. I do not think I would accept a graduate place, if offered (being presumptuous here). But that reflects on my desire to consider further options for my future career and unwillingness to commit, not the quality of the FCA as an organisation.

The pandemic meant there was very little here. However, I can't say I missed it. Work was done over Microsoft Teams and video calls: video call fatigue is real and I couldn't have stood further social calls after work too. Plus, as an introvert, large social events are overwhelming - I prefer getting to know people one-on-one and distance interning pushed socialising towards that.

N/A - Pandemic meant I worked from home

N/A - Pandemic meant I worked from home. Plus, I care little for nightlife. I find it tedious rather than enjoyable. Sorry - I prefer a good book.

Not really, again, pandemic made that difficult.