Advanced Analytics - Summer Internship Review

All summer interns work on a project, mine was interesting and I had a lot of choice in the direction it would take. In many cases interns' work will be used to guide future work by economists in the bank so it is satisfying to know your work is important.

All of my colleagues were very friendly, however I worked in a large division and during a time that was particularly busy so I had less opportunity to get to know my colleagues. There is a variety of team sizes in the Bank so this can vary based on which division you work in.

I had regular meetings with my line manager with a lot of opportunities for feedback. My manager also arranged for me to go on a course to learn to use statistical software which was very helpful in working on my project.

The final two weeks of my 8 week internship were extremely busy, the summer internships involve giving a formal presentation of your results and writing up these results. These activities are usually in the final two weeks and can be very time consuming, however I found it satisfying to put a lot of work into them.

The level of workload, and hence responsibility, depended on desk allocations and individual preferences. For me, I found my workload entirely manageable while giving me the time to take on additional tasks. E.g. partaking in a bond pitch.

My internship was very useful for developing skills, as mentioned above I was sent on a course to learn how to use statistical software. I also learnt a lot about empirical econometrics which I hadn't learned in my degree yet. I also learnt more about data analysis, which is important in a working environment but generally not dealt with in academic economics.

The people I worked with were very friendly, and I found that economists in the Bank are generally very approachable and happy to help if I was having difficulties. People can also be very busy however so there is not always a lot of interaction.

The organisation before the internship started was not clear and efficient. But from the induction onwards, contact via emails was regular when needed and it was easy to raise any queries which were answered promptly. The staff who organised the internship were approachable and honest.

The Bank encourages personal development hugely with weekly events/ seminars /talks across the Bank. As an intern this was really useful and training was offered where needed. The scope of the training available was quite diverse. However, on some courses, numbers are limited which can be quite annoying if you can't sign up in time.

Positive employment prospects in my opinion in terms of working hours, staff facilities, work/life balance and the work environment. Expect pay to be lower than the private sector though and career progression can be a lot slower than you would imagine.

In my cohort, there was constant interaction with fellow interns which was perfect for sharing any experiences/ problems. There was an initial social organised for the new interns but after that it was down to us to organise any socials or get togethers.

The Bank is in the financial district in central London, so it is unlikely to be cheap. There are a number of pubs nearby that are reasonably priced, it's probably best to find these on the internet and book a table in advance.

There are a lot of pubs/bars nearby which are always popular on Friday nights. I went to a few of these with the other interns. The nightlife seems to be very good in this area, but I wasn't there long enough to experience a lot of it personally.

Good opportunities for sports, societies across different interests. I was only there for a short time so couldn't really get stuck into anything but I know many employees that make good use of the gym and the other opportunities at the Bank.