HR & Recruitment Summer Analyst Review

I had an extremely enjoyable experience and would struggle to fault it, it was online in the end due to the pandemic but it was far better than I expected it to be considering it was virtual and they had to change the program last minute for us. Everyone was extremely helpful and friendly and we were able form great relationships with other staff. They provided lots of opportunities to speak to a variety of people, some very senior, and from a variety of of business lines, as well as talks on a variety of topics.

Despite it being virtual, a great effort was made to make us feel part of the team and welcomed. As well as a variety of talks and networking sessions we were included in team meetings and challenges (which made me feel part of the team in an everyday social sense), as well as being encouraged to connect with people in our own time. Everyone was keen to get to know us, help us out and connect us with other people we could speak to. The team asked really engaging questions in our presentations and pushed us to give opinions and recommendations which really made us feel valued and helpful.

We were given lots of help and advice when we needed it but we were also able to take the initiative and determine some of the direction ourselves with projects, this struck a really good balance between being supported and being encouraged to be independent. My advisors and mentors were extremely responsive and always made time for my questions, as well as other members of staff who got involved and offered their support and guidance should we require it. There was also a great range of training courses available to me to support my work.

Generally pretty busy, this varied day to day depending on presentation dates but I rarely found myself without things to do. When I finished a task before I expected to, I helped a team member out with their tasks, completed online courses and had my own networking meetings arranged. I was rarely without work but was rarely busy to the extent of being stressed. I was able to organise my own time and many of my own meetings around my workload, people were always flexible and accommodating.

We were given the responsibility to conduct our projects as we felt appropriate, we had advisors who took a more casual approach and were there to guide us, we also had weekly meetings with managers whom we updated on our progress and who provided us with regular feedback. However our approach to tasks, how we divided work, and the final outcome was for us to decide. My own networking and development was mostly my own responsibility.

My degree is not especially relevant to the area I worked in, however I really developed my ability to work in teams of people I had never met before, as well as to delegate tasks. My communication and networking abilities improved drastically, alongside my confidence, especially since I was working with people virtually and was therefore faced with new barriers to communication that I had not encountered before in a professional environment. These skills are absolutely useful in any professional setting as well as life in general.

The general atmosphere was really welcoming and friendly, everyone was very down to earth and interested in getting to know me. I was included in team meetings and challenges outside of my tasks and always made to feel welcome. There was a real sense of professionalism and it was clear that everyone was very driven to deliver high quality services. The atmosphere was also very accommodating and I felt valued and comfortable in the workplace.

Extremely well, especially considering the fact that the structure of the internship program had to be altered significantly last minute due to the pandemic. The remote access functioned well, as did our calendars and meeting schedules. We were given weekly deliverables to guide our progress with projects and everyone was responsive and accommodating when, on occasion, I did have clashes with meetings. It was clear what was expected from me and what I could expect from the internship.

I felt that they invested a great deal in my own professional development. Not only was a given access to a huge variety of skills development courses, but I was able to attend lots of different talks and workshops. I was given the opportunity to speak to senior members of staff (something I did not expect), who each made time to engage with interns and have interesting discussions with us. I was given advisors and managers for projects, as well as having 2 mentors who were there to help me with any general worries or questions, as well as to introduce me to other people. Further to this all the other members of staff I met were keen to spend time with me, answer any questions and help me out.

I was offered a place on the graduate scheme about 2 weeks after completing the internship. I accepted this place immediately as I really enjoyed the internship and am very excited by the prospect of returning full time and after I graduate. I would recommend this internship to anyone who is interested and emphasise how welcoming the environment is, and how much interns are invested in and valued by the company as a whole, as well as graduates.

Yes, although this was difficult due to the pandemic. We worked virtually from home due to lockdown restrictions. However events such as quizzes and challenges were organised to help us get to know each other, members of our line of business, as well as interns from other programs. My program was very small and myself and the other interns got on very well from the very beginning, we worked very well together and I am excited to work with them in the future.

We worked remotely due to the pandemic. However the original contract (singed before the pandemic) meant we were paid very well and were given a significant relocation bonus to help with moving. This really helped me as I have no family in London and would have had to rent, the salary and relocation bonus made this easily possible in an area with a high cost of living. I would not consider the placement being a in an area with a high cost of living a barrier at all.

We worked remotely due to the pandemic.

We worked remotely due to the pandemic.