Network Management Review

I enjoyed it very much as my colleagues were all extremely welcoming and nice. There were learning opportunities everywhere and the HR department always ensured that there were many non-work related activities as well. I thought there was a adequate work-life balance and we rarely had to stay late to complete work.

I felt very valued by my colleagues as they gave me much autonomy in my work. I was entrusted with quite a large amount of responsibility and was constantly praised when I had finished my tasks diligently. I was nominated twice for the Living our Values award which enabled me to feel valued by my co-workers.

As I had done my internship over the summer, it was a difficult period as a lot of my managers were taking their annual leave. However, the remaining co-workers helped me along and entrusted me with tasks. They were patient with any questions or queries that I encountered and took time to take me through the steps. The management encourage work shadowing as well which allowed me to learn a lot about other departments.

In the first 3 weeks, I had to read up a lot of operational manuals and processes. This allowed me to familiarize with my department. In the following weeks, I was entrusted with more and more work and had to juggle this with my internship projects and charity challenge. I felt sufficiently busy and it also taught me how to manage my time as well as prioritise different pieces of work.

I was given quite a large amount of responsibility for a 10 week summer internship. I was given the opportunity to interact with RBS colleagues globally as well as international clients. There wasn't much hand-holding and I constantly took initiate to suss out answers to any questions I may have had. Nonetheless, I was doing the same work that colleagues in my department were doing day-to-day - this made me feel part of the team instead of just an intern.

On top of my daily BAU work, I had been sent for technical training courses as well as attended talks from senior stakeholders. This bolstered both my soft and hard skills which I feel can give me an upper-hand upon retuning to my degree. For example, I had attended an Excel training course that increased my knowledge of Microsoft Excel. During my internship, I had the opportunity to use different systems in the bank which I never had the chance to learn about at university.

As I was based in the operations department, the general atmosphere was very laid back. We were allowed to go into the office anytime between 8-9am and leave accordingly before 5pm. My co-workers were very friendly and made time for casual banter. Of course, there were periods where deadlines were tight and we had to stay overtime to complete the work but you were never penalised for leaving on the dot. The managers encourage socialising and spending time out of the office as they felt that it bred efficiency and productivity.

It was very well organised in my opinion. My internship kickstarted with a week-long induction programme in London (I was based in Manchester) that familiarised us with different aspects of the bank - from the different departments to its values. We had to chance to mingle with interns from different locations as well. During the internship, constant brown bag sessions were organised to further keep in touch with all the interns. We were given internship projects which allowed us to work alongside with interns from different departments.

The bank was very keen on investing in the interns - from planning technical training sessions to organising talks with senior stakeholders, we were well taken care off. There were also compulsory e-learning modules that we had to undertake whilst we were on internship to educate ourselves on the bank's systems and regulations. We learnt that during the graduate scheme, we would have even more opportunities and trainings to further develop our set of skills and experiences. Whilst shadowing one of my co-workers in the HR department, I learnt that a few thousand pounds is spent on hiring a single intern.

Almost 88% of the interns in my location were hired onto the graduate scheme. Whilst speaking with the HR department, I learnt that employment prospects are very high as the company has invested much time and effort in each intern hence they are more likely to roll onto the graduate scheme as compared to a fresh applicant. Statistics from the previous years has proven that almost 80% of the interns usually move on to the graduate scheme after university and then eventually roll onto full time employment.

As I was based in Manchester, there was a very vibrant social scene. We had a small group of 17 interns that allowed us to bond easily. There were constant after work drinks and nights out on the weekends. The internship projects and charity challenges allowed us to spend time with our fellow interns and eventually forge firm friendships. Some of the departments occasionally went out for after work drinks as well, especially whenever there was a birthday/leaving party. We (the interns) even managed to plan day/overnight trips to different cities in the UK.

Manchester is arguably a cheaper location to live in as compared to London, where the main offices are located. I stayed in the city and was able to walk to and back from work daily. There were also free shuttle buses in the city area which made commuting to work much easier. The social scene is also less expensive as compared to other cities with the wide array of bars offering happy hours. Night outs were not expensive as transport home was relatively cheap. With the salary offered, we were able to save a considerable amount each month.

You'll be completely spoilt for choice when it comes to Manchester's nightlife. It has one of the strongest scenes in the country, boasting major club establishments and live music hot spots both big and small. The city has a pretty impressive live music heritage, and the talent that flocks to Manchester on a regular basis cements it as one of the most relevant locations in the world of rock, indie and alternative. It's also a major stop off on the touring schedules of most bands. If you prefer a quieter night out, then Manchester’s bars range from cosy and unique through to downright outlandish. For a more cultural outlook, then there is a vast selection of theatres and picture houses to keep everyone entertained. One thing's for sure, you won't be stuck for stuff to do when the sun goes down in this town.

There were a lot of activities outside of work that were planned for the interns. Apart from the induction week in London, we had a end of internship social in the city as well. This brought together all the interns after the 10 weeks where we went through focus groups, had drinks, played games etc. The interns were also tasked with raising money for RBS's chosen charity which involved us carrying out fundraising activities. There were also a lot of interest groups and committees within the company that one could get involved in if they wish. There were also RBS sporting groups where they competed against other banks (i.e Hockey)