Summer Intern Review

The internship was interesting; I learned a lot about the job and the firm as a whole. I picked up some new skills which I can use in my studies to enhance my experience. Even though the work I was doing wasn't in line with my studies I received all the training on the job and I was given important cases to work on.

As it was a small team everyone worked as a close group of friends. The atmosphere was great and positive all the time - even in stressful situations! This made it easy for me to integrate with the team and feel valued. My input was always appreciated and soon I was not only corresponding with other colleagues but also clients.

I was given a counsellor who was responsible for helping me integrate with the team and teach me the basics. Luckily my counsellor also happened to be my manager. This way I was able to get honest and in-depth career advice and support at the workplace.

Work was never dull. As I worked with several clients, I always had work to do. The work was also quite varied as the various client 'projects' were in various stages of completion. At the end of the week my timesheet would be completely full. However, there's a good balance of heavy workload to slight down-time.

At the beginning I had to go through training so I was doing small jobs. However, I picked up the necessary skills quickly and as I learned more I was given more responsibility. By the end of my internship I was working on a project of my own to help out the team after I had left.

Even though the work I did was not the same as my degree, the transferrable skills I gained are very useful. I became more personable, learned how to write in 'business English', learned how to interact with directors and partners, and also improved communication and presentation skills.

The general atmosphere in the office was positive. Everyone was willing to help out anyone that asked for it. Even during stressful times, someone would bake a cake, buy donuts, buy brownies, etc. for the team so that it can brighten their days a little bit. Everyone was joking and having fun most of the time, so it was great!

As the internship scheme has been running for a long time it was quite well organised. However, the only down side was the process of securing the internship! It took several months from the first application to attending an assessment centre. Nevertheless, once I started working everything went quite smoothly.

As I was an intern for the summer I did not need 'official training'. However, there were many instances where I was included in the team's training sessions according to the changes in business model. All the training that the team at level 1 received, I also received. This is done in order to prepare the interns for graduate roles - if they choose to opt it.

The firm is quite flexible with graduate jobs. The idea is that if you perform well during the internship then you will be offered a graduate job for the following year in the team you worked. However, if you find that you would rather work in a different department/location you can choose to apply for this. If your reasoning is clear then this will be facilitated (given that there is a requirement in your chosen department/location).

There was a corporate social responsibility day during our induction which allowed the interns to become closer to each other. This then continued during the internship in the sense that we chose to have lunch together everyday. Otherwise, there is at least 1 team social per week that you can attend with your colleagues.

I worked in Edinburgh and I study in Edinburgh so this was not different for me. The area is relatively cheap, but if you choose to go out for lunch every day then it can get quite expensive. Otherwise, all the food areas, pubs/bars are reasonably priced.

The nightlife in Edinburgh can be very good depending on when you go out and where you're originally from. If you are from a city that has an amazing nightlife then Edinburgh is relatively average. Otherwise, Edinburgh is great! As for the summer time, it isn't amazing due to the limited number of students in the city - so the clubs are not as full. However, they are paced at other times.

There are a couple of societies/sports club from the firm, so there were chances of getting involved. However, these are not heavily advertised or enthusiastically encouraged. The attitude towards this is: 'if you want to do something, you can ask people and have to show your own initiative to join'. But as a firm there are several clubs, but it was just not the case in Edinburgh.