Finance Summer Analyst Review

My internship was very enjoyable. From a working perspective, I enjoyed taking part in two different rotations which allowed me to gain a better understanding of the department's functions. HR also placed a lot of effort into organizing team building activities and networking events, allowing us to gain exposure to the firm's various departments.

I felt that team members during both rotations were extremely welcoming and tried to include me in the teams functions. My contributions were always appreciated, even if they didn't match exactly what was expected. In those situations we would go through what needed to be changed , but I never felt that my inputs were dismissed.

Whenever I needed support, team members were very willing to help me out. Depending on my familiarity with the tasks I was expected to carry out, the amount of support I needed to perform the functions correctly would very, but it never felt as if I was a burden to the team.

It varied depending on the rotation. During the first rotation I was given a couple of long term projects, functioning as support to the team during the day. It was thus up to me to determine how much work I would get done on a daily basis. During the second rotation I was given a daily assignment with a deadline of 3 pm and I was free to help where needed once the assignment was turned in.

It varied based on the rotation and the confidence the manager had in my skills. Due to the complexity of day-to-day business I was given limited responsibility during the first rotation, working on support functions or the long term projects mentioned previously. During the second rotation I was immediately given responsibility for a daily report. I was initially supported by a team member and subsequently expected to carry out the function on my own.

First of all, the initial two days of training helped me get up to speed with what was expected of me during the internship and gave me a solid background for when I will resume the role next year. The amount of time spent working on excel during my internship will be extremely beneficial in both an academic and professional environment. The technical knowledge I gained can also be applied to various departments within the bank.

The office was generally quiet to ensure business functions were performed. At the same time, there were plenty of opportunities to get away from the desk for a few minutes to catch up with colleagues or fellow interns. Outside of working spaces the office was lively and all around a positive environment.

Overall the internship was well organized.

There were two days of initial training and various business lunches with members of other departments to explain the overall activities of the bank.

I enjoyed my internship and I supposed my work was appreciated enough to receive an offer for a spot on the graduate program. I will be returning to the company in September 2016.

There were plenty of opportunities to meet with fellow interns, both in a working environment and outside of work. Depending on the department's working hours it would be difficult to meet with some of the interns, but throughout my internship there were plenty of occasions were interns would meet for drinks after work or go out to night clubs.

With the offices being in the city, the area is extremely expensive. There are quite a few areas were socializing is possible at a reasonable cost, but living expenses in most cases are too high for junior level employees. With easy access to public transports however, it was very easy to reach the office while living in a more affordable area.

Both company offices were in the city, so there were plenty of opportunities to go out after work. Overall the area is fairly expensive but access to public transport was immediate so it was possible to reach other areas of London very quickly. The number of clubs in the city is limited compared to areas like Shoreditch and Mayfair/Picadilly.

Working hours in my case were reasonable, with an average day lasting from 9am-7pm. During the two months of my internship I never had to come into the office on the weekend, so there was plenty of time to get involved in activities outside work, whether it was events organized by the company or on my own. The team was also very understanding whenever events took place during working hours.