Intern Trainee Review

I am an intern in the commercial banking (customer products and propositions) programme and the bank's commercial banking digital department. The bank provided a full day of induction to all interns and another full day for the interns on the same programme. After getting familiar with the work my team does, I usually complete two full days of placement on Tues and Thus, and half-day in the mornings of other days. Other times, I do self-led learning and reflection, or early careers team has arranged presentations around different topics, networking opportunities with senior leaders and graduates, socials, etc.

I further enhanced my teamwork skills, especially from working with 3 other interns on a business group project / presentation over 7 weeks, and coordinating with different staff from my team and the wider team to pull expertise together. I have learned to collaborate with others to delegate tasks. Besides, I have gained exposure to develop my digital literacy including navigating and using different online platforms / systems. NatWest also has an internal online academy for me to do online learning based on my interests.

Yes, I have been given projects that I need to work on individually and will be presented internally later in the internship. I also am part of the team and contribute to the team's big projects which many of us work on together. My manager sets daily goals for me to meet, and I will work on those independently every day within my own schedule. I have been given responsibility to reach out and schedule meetings to others in the bank as well.

I appreciate the support and guidance the bank offers. All interns had at least two full days of induction from the early careers team, and each intern is paired up with a direct manager and a graduate buddy. They were in touch before the internship, and continue to support throughout the internship. I feel comfortable reaching out to them whenever I need assistance and guidance, and they are responsive and happy to help most of the time. My manager also gave me plenty of time to get familiar with the work / online systems that the team uses.

The company is not very hierarchical / corporate, given the size and reputation of the bank. In general, everyone is very friendly and welcoming and even senior leaders are approachable and willing to answer questions in the sessions that early careers team has planned. The company truly values wellbeing and sustainability, and have different initiatives implemented. It also has a sense of community because of the different graduate councils, which like-minded people may join and work together in a council of their interest regardless of teams or offices.

I appreciate the design of the internship greatly contributed to a pleasant experience at NatWest. I like the balance of placement and opportunities to learn more about the bank and get to know the different people. Although interns are generally placed in different teams randomly, my placement has been unexpected but inspiring and challenging which I enjoy. The support and guidance has been great, so as the culture and the people. I am glad I can develop new skills from this internship which otherwise is not covered in school's curriculum.

Yes

Be yourself throughout the application and highlight the different skills you have. I would say the bank values transferable skills regardless of background and education. It is important to be collaborative and open-minded especially when it comes to working with others in the assessment center. Also, research and understand the values of the bank and being able to bring up a few initiatives / examples would be valuable. Also, try to think from different perspectives including the bank and the customers.