Summer Intern - Operations Division Review

The internship experience was incredibly enjoyable because it offers a very good balance of real, hands-on work assignments and meaningful training. You can expect to be fully integrated into a team and its daily tasks, hence granted a real opportunity to demonstrate your skills and to develop communication and technical skills. The other interns were intelligent and interesting.

I felt very valued because a real effort was made to integrate me into the immediate team and to allow me to mix with surrounding teams and meet as many people as possible. I was free to explore other teams and divisions in my time, meaning I could have one-to-one face time with a large variety of interesting people. The team gave me real and valuable work that allowed me to make a contribution to the firm, despite the difficulty of some of the tasks for an intern.

The training offered is of a very high standard and is meaningful and relevant to the tasks I was completing. Training took many forms, from one-to-one technical sessions with immediate members of the team to firm-wide orientation and insight sessions. The tasks given to me were designed to test me, and so there was always a supervisor within a close proximity to assist me in any difficulties. It is advised to take as many notes as possible since it is not appreciated to ask the same question repeatedly.

I was incredibly busy. This owes to the need to balance both daily tasks on particular projects with training sessions and personal insights with other teams. The internship is designed to be testing of all your abilities, including time management, and I was equally given a personal project of which to take ownership in research and ultimately presentation in the final week of the internship. These factors mean you will always be extremely busy. You may find the hours are challenging.

The responsibility granted is significant, though supervision is required to ensure that work is to an appropriate standard. It is encouraged to take on board as much of the responsibility as possible, showing a desire to be inquisitive and take ownership of tasks. I had a clear and pivotal role in one particular project throughout the internship that I was able to develop through the duration of my work and see to a close before leaving the firm.

The skills will without a doubt be relevant in my professional future, whether it be the technical aspects or the communication skills built upon. However, the skills required for the daily routine in this environment will not be directly transferable to my degree and studies, except the obvious tangible assets such as time management and the ability to effectively present and communicate. The skills you develop are central to a successful career not only in this industry but across the board.

The atmosphere is extremely positive and social. It is understood that working hours can be long and the work can be stressful at the firm and so a great emphasis is placed upon the ability to successfully and enjoyably integrate members of the different teams. At times of course the atmosphere can be more tense than other times due to the cyclical nature of the work, but on the whole it is very pleasant to work among like-minded professionals of different ages and origins.

The internship was very well organised, thanks to a large and diverse team of recruitment (Human Capital Management) professionals. Their job is to ensure that the running of the program is seamless, and they are constantly on hand to respond to any queries or burning questions. Sessions run on time and do not tend to over-run, and it is considered very important for staff and interns alike to be punctual.

The firm invested in me to a great extent, not only financially, but in terms of the time given by members of staff to commit to helping me achieve my goals for the internship. This includes but is not limited to the great amount of time committed to improving my technical knowledge base, but also extends to feedback of both a formal and informal nature at regular intervals, as well as the time given by senior members of staff to share their thoughts and insight.

It is common for high performing interns to be offered a full-time position with the firm. This was the case for me and I will be delighted to accept thanks to the key advantages of a rounded package, from the benefits of a high starting salary to the on site facilities such as a gym and health care. This is a very meritocratic institution that will reward high performing graduates that have the relevant passion and energy.

There are a large number of interns in any particular class, all of whom will be living locally in London for the duration of the summer. This means that it is easy to organise social events such as drinks in the evening, which was very common towards the end of each week. There is a great desire among the interns to enjoy the time spent in London for the internship, and social events are encouraged by the firm, hiring out venues for networking opportunities throughout.

The cost of living is very high due to the very central location of the firm to London. Due to the long working hours it is encouraged to live close to work, and consequently rent prices can be very high, as can public transport and social activities such as food and drink at venues in and around town. However, this is taken into account by the firm who consistently offer a large financial reward to interns for their contribution.

The nightlife in the week is extremely vibrant given the central location of the firm in London. Though it can of course be very expensive to take advantage of this, it is an exciting prospect with many options available to interns including bars, restaurants and clubs of numerous differing varieties to suit all tastes, At weekends in particular it is very nice to be able to relax following a difficult working week and take advantage of the bars and clubs to catch up with friends and colleagues alike.

The work-life balance is naturally quite strenuously leaning towards long hours and often a stressful working day. This can limit opportunities outside of work for those involved in long working weeks. That said, it is encouraged to take advantage of on site facilities such as the gym and health centre including machine and weights equipment, a sauna and steam-room for all members of staff. Other events are arranged such as the firm football team.