Women's Insight Week Review

The insight programme was extremely informative, there was great exposure to many departments and the opportunity to ask questions to a wide range of people. There was great emphasis on the week being an opportunity for us to find out whether the company and programmes were right for us, just as much as whether we were right for the company.

I felt very valued during my time at Fidelity, HR were extremely welcoming and all the employees were very happy to help and answer any questions. HR have made the effort to keep in touch since the programme which has made me feel valued. They have been very good at responding to any questions and emails since the programme which has been extremely helpful for the internship application.

We had an afternoon session with guidance on the internship application process which was extremely helpful, we had interview tips, help with our CV's and also sessions on presentation skills. The presentation skills was especially helpful as we had to present ourselves for one minute which was nothing like I have done before.

The week gave me huge help in applying to my internships in terms of filling in the actual forms but also in guiding me to which programme and companies are right for me. I hopefully will be successful with an internship next summer and eventually be on a graduate programme from the insight the week gave me.

The week was very well structured, we received a detailed timetable on the first day which was extremely useful. There was a great variety of exposure to all the different departments to give a clear picture of how the company operates as one. There was also a good level of background information and information on the company as well as the programmes to show the overall structure of the firm.

The general atmosphere was extremely relaxed. At no point did I feel I couldn't ask a question, or that I was being constantly assessed which is why I think the insight programme is one of the best. Everyone was extremely willing to help so you never felt like you were pestering anyone, it was a very friendly atmosphere with the other students on the programme too and I made a lot of friends from the programme!

The company invested a lot in me, firstly HR were great for advice on programmes and helping me with my internship application. I have seen HR twice since the insight week and they have been great at responding to my emails. I feel that a lot of time and effort went into the whole week, whether that was the CFO taking time out to come and talk to us, or in presentation and interview skills sessions to give us the best chance of being successful with our internship applications.

It really helped me to understand what it would be like to work there. I feel Fidelity didn't try and put on a false picture of the company, it was a very truthful representation of the atmosphere and company culture. It was quite clear that they like to challenge their employees but the balance between this and the supportive networks they have inside the company makes it very unique I feel. Especially being a woman wanting to have a career in finance, they have invested a lot of time and effort into promoting opportunities for women whether it be entering the industry as a graduate or later on in our careers.

I left the week with a very clear picture of the company culture. What I think helped confirm this was actually doing another insight week, this allowed me to make clear comparisons of pros and cons of each culture. It also gave me clarification in the sort of company that I would like to work for as an intern and graduate!

I found it extremely valuable - I was able to decide which programmes I didn't want to pursue applications for internships for and also left me with a handful of options for future career paths. I still feel at this stage I am still open to ideas on what I want to do, but I am certainly wiser on which I am wanting to apply for.

I was reimbursed for my travel expenses for the week and was also provided accommodation as I live outside of London. The accommodation was a lovely flat shared with one other person approximately a 5 minute walk from the office! Therefore the overall week costs were covered by the company which was great!

There was opportunities for question and answer sessions after every talk that we had from employees. We also had a panel session with graduates which was great to find out their opinions of internships and grad schemes. There was networking sessions at lunches and one evening and we were also taken out for drinks and to the London Eye which was great for networking amongst others on the insight programme.

There were many opportunities, everyone was very willing to give us their emails if we had any other questions. There were set networking sessions but also many opportunities throughout the day. The company put on two social events - drinks one evening at All Bar One and a curry in the office with drinks then onto the London Eye which was quite something!

We had talks from the women's network which was very relevant considering it was a Women's only insight week. We also were made aware of other supportive networks and social events that have been put on at the office. However it would have been maybe nice to find out a bit more if there were any sports teams etc!

I would 100% recommend Fidelity's insight week to a friend. I really valued the experience and really would like to go onto getting an internship with them. I think they are a very honest company and really value their employees. For me the culture was something which I found very appealing but I would recommend doing more than one insight programme so you are able to compare company cultures and atmospheres.