Spring Intern Review

by Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

2.9/5
  • The Role
    3.0
  • The Company
    3.0
  • The Culture
    2.6

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • I found the FSA Spring Insight Programme to very enjoyable. The presentations were split up by networking and work shadowing which meant we weren't stuck in the same place and also ahd the opportunity to apply what we were learning.

    4/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • Everyone we met was eager to answer the questions that we had and received presentations from a huge range of people including some top executives. I felt all employees were happy with their jobs and that really came across when they spoke to us.

    4/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • We had rate ourselves on certain competencies at the start of the course and then again at the end of the course to try and gauge any progress we had made. We then talked through this with a member of the HR team. We also received a presentation from the head of HR on key skills and how to succeed in the application process.

    3/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • The average day was about 9 until 5/6 which meant we spent a lot of time in the office and gained a great insight but also had time to spend with the other interns in the evening.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • The placement mainly involved presentations and work shadowing, we had to give one case study presentation based on what we had learnt during the programme.

    1/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • The programme allowed me to hone my presentation and communication skills which will be invaluable in anything I do in the future.

    3/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • The atmosphere in the office was very relaxed with everyone happy to help each other. It seemed like a enjoyable place to work and although you have to work hard it seemed like it was a less stressful/pressured environment then at a bank.

    4/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • The programme was well organised with a clear itinerary that we were given on the first day. This included timings for every session so we were fully aware of everything that was being organised.

    4/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • The work shadowing was a great opportunity to build our skills and learn a little bit more about the FSA. The head of graduate recruitment also lead a number of sessions aimed at building core skills and offered advice on how to improve our applications!

    3/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Company Parties/Events
    2/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • I think the future employment prospects are very attractive, it is great alternative for anyone interested in finance who doesn't necessarily want to go down the route of investment banking. It the same time it can also provide a platform to move on to working in a different areas of the financial services industry such as banking.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • Everyone who was on the programme stayed in the same hotel which allowed us to get to know each other better and we went out to get food together most evenings.

    3/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • The FSA paid for a hotel for everyone on the programme which included breakfast, lunch was provided and we were given £15 for each evening (excluding any alcoholic drinks). This meant the cost was basically nothing!

    4/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • As we were only there for three days and we were very busy we didn't have much opportunity however there were a lot of nice bars in the area.

    2/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • Again as the programme only lasted 3 days there wasn't much time for this however there were networking drinks organised on the first day to help everyone get to know each other and also to meet employees.

    2/5
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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

London

May 2012

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