CADP Summer Analyst Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the internship. I feel I gained a huge amount from the experience and learnt a lot about myself, how I work in a team environment, and what sort of line of business I would like to pursue in the future. Even though the situation meant I was unable to meet my colleagues face-to-face, the various online socials made me feel integrated into the company and I left having formed some close relationships.

I felt very well valued both within my close working team, our wider internship group and when communicating with more senior employees. I was made to feel safe expressing any concerns or queries I had, and reassured that any points I raised would be properly considered. I feel that my input was respected and appreciated and I was an important factor in the final presentations that our team produced. When asking questions in group situations I felt confident that I would be listened to and my question properly answered.

My managers and mentors were a crucial part of the success of my internship. I thoroughly enjoyed having two managers working in different lines of business as this opened up more doors for me to explore the company further and learn as much as I could from my experience. Both my senior and junior mentors were invaluable in making me feel safe and welcomed into the company, and I felt I could go to them with any questions I had.

My 5 weeks at the company were well filled. Most days consisted of a number of meetings with my immediate team, mentors and managers; social events and senior speaker events. I occasionally felt a little pushed for time when completing my projects, and feel I could have completed one to a higher degree had I not had to split my time between the two. Having said that, I understood from talking to employees that this was a good representation of the business of life at the company, so I am grateful that I could experience a realistic level of work.

I loved the fact that our social good project involved working with a real non-profit company as I could properly see how my work would make a difference. In this respect, I felt that I held a fair amount of responsibility in representing the company well to our client. At the same time, I never felt as though there was too much responsibility as my managers and mentors were always there to support me and reassure me if I ever felt uncomfortable.

I learnt a huge amount from my time at the company. In particular, I developed many skills such as using Excel and Visio, which I will certainly carry with me into my final year of study. I also felt I learnt many skills that will be useful to me throughout my life, including interview skills and how to communicate with people more senior than myself. Delivering two presentations also helped me to develop my confidence in public speaking and presenting, which I am very grateful for.

The internship was extremely well planned, with all sessions running to time and little unfilled slots left in my calendar. It was clearly presented to me what my tasks over the 5 weeks would be and when and where I was expected to be at all times. The timetable was well varied, with a range of senior speaker events and social events spread over my time. We were also left with adequate free time in which to prepare for our presentations and explore any routes which interested us.

The company provided many well run training sessions, both live and pre-recorded. All trainings were interactive which meant it was easy to stay engaged and take more away from the experience. My managers and mentors were also always on hand to deliver additional training where I requested it, and were always keen to put me in contact with relevant people they knew would be helpful to me. I was offered a lot of personal feedback during the internship which was key to my success.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to return and work the company in the future. I am looking forward to developing the relationships I formed during my internship, and continue to learn from the fantastic and knowledgeable employees. If my internship was a good representation of what working with the company full time would be like, I know I will thoroughly enjoy my work and make many great connections. I cannot wait to return to the company next year.

Even though the situation prevented me from physically meeting my fellow interns, a wide range of social activities were arranged for us. We took part in many zoom quizzes and were well introduced to one another. I left the internship feeling that I had developed some close relationships, especially with those in my immediate intern term. The internal chat system allowed for us to communicate with one another and made it easier for introductions to be made.