13 Month Finance Placement in Global Banking and Treasury Review

I was involved in ensuring all payments were processed for the EMEA region, as well as executing other daily banking tasks - such as proof of payments and bank investigations. Throughout the daily tasks I would always explore improvement opportunities to further automate operations. I was heavily involved in integrating RASC into our European processes. The RASC market consisted of Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. This meant I was in regular communication with locals to understand the processes as part of the handover.

Over my 13 months, I developed a questioning mindset. I would question existing processes and build my understanding to determine if that process was the most efficient for my team. This questioning mindset allowed me to get involved in the implementation of Smart Automation within my team. Other skills I developed were my project management and leadership. I owned a cross functional and multinational project that I led and implemented, creating a significant time saving within my team.

I would often be encouraged to make improvements to existing processes that many of the team had been executing for a number of years. It was clear from day 1 that I had exactly the same responsibility as those more experienced and full time members of staff. By the time I left, I was the process expert for the Supply Chain Finance programme and for the RASC markets.

I was allocated a buddy who I could talk to about my experiences and issues I was facing. I would meet with my manager once a month who would help me align my aims and ensure I was meeting aligned objectives. I would also complete quarterly presentations as part of P&G's rise up scheme, where I would review what I had done in the previous quarter.

Considering how important the work that I was completing was, it was a fairly laid back atmosphere. There were certainly difficult times over my 13 months but management recognised this and seemed to take our minds off the issues. The office is open which showed just how approachable senior management was.

I really enjoyed my time in banking and it actually encouraged me to look more into non-accounting graduate schemes. I would strongly advise others to look into this area and look into opportunities at P&G.

Yes

Be ready to be heavily involved and not necessarily be recognised as an intern. You will be an important part of your team from day 1. Make sure you ask questions, it is regularly mentioned that no question is a silly question! You won't be judged for making one off mistakes, just make sure you learn from them.