Operational Risk Intern Review

It was a fantastic learning experience. The job was varied and constantly interesting and new. The team I was part of was really enjoyable and fun. Employees of the wider business were also really helpful and good to work with.

From the moment I arrived, my colleagues were very welcoming and helpful. They trained me really well but also allowed me to learn myself and take over important tasks. They also deferred to my judgement on certain issues. All of this helped me to really feel valued and a permanent part of the team

My team were hugely supportive of me. They assisted my early on with getting to grips with all the systems and processes, as well as helping me to understand the role more clearly. Whenever I had an issue, I knew I could speak to anyone from the team and they would assist me. It made me feel comfortable in the environment I was in

There were natural fluctuations throughout the year which is inevitable. Whilst I come to expect this now, when you are just starting out, it can be a little confusing and surprising. However, most of the time, there was a great balance of work to be getting on with, which meant I felt very motivated to do the work I had, but didn't feel overly pressured to the detriment of my performance.

I was given lots of responsibility, even from an early stage. The team was keen for me to get up to speed as quickly as possible so that I could take on lots of work and grow into the role. This was managed really well through constant progress checks, meaning that I was given more challenging and varied responsibility, the more I learned and the more I felt comfortable within the team.

This role has given me a lot of self-belief and confidence in my abilities. It has shown me that I can contribute to a team effectively and work efficiently and under pressure. Furthermore, the role has allowed me to grow my analytical and communication skills significantly. A large part of the role was working through problems and discussing this clearly and effectively. These skills will help me in my final year of university as well as in future jobs.

My colleagues were really fun to work with and I made many friends whilst I was there. There was a good mix of ages, backgrounds and personalities which meant that we all got on well and could be productive together. Naturally it was sometimes a very busy and stressful time for the business, but this was mostly handled really well, and everyone was still in good spirits. The personalities were obviously different in each business area, but there was a general sense of fun, openness and a willingness to help each other too.

It was really well judged. It was structured well at the beginning so that I arrived as part of the yearly internship students. This made my first few months much easier and more fun. I also felt well supervised as I had regular meetings to check on my progress and feedback. However, there was a lot of flexibility built in which meant that I could learn and progress naturally.

I received a lot of on the job training, to make sure I could contribute as much as I could. Any time i needed help, I was given guidance to make sure I was comfortable doing the job I was given I was also encouraged to attend introductory courses on the industry as well as industry and in-house company updates which kept me up to date and educated on relevant topics. It felt that they were really keen for me to progress quickly and assist the team as much as possible, which gave me a lot of confidence.

The company offered a fantastic structure graduate programme which looks great. Having already spent a year at the company, this will help stand me in good stead if I decide to apply for a graduate role. I have been actively encouraged to apply, and have received great feedback from my team. I was also offered extra time at the company

This was especially the case in the early parts of the placement as i joined as part of the yearly internship group. We had lots of social events organised for us throughout our time here. This included Christmas parties, graduate and intern parties, business unit party at London Zoo, and other smaller gatherings. Furthermore, within my team, we went out for drinks regularly and even dinners as well.

I was lucky as I am from London originally and could live with my parents for this year. London is an expensive place to live in generally. Lunches and drinks after work were expensive and i know rent can be expensive. However, the company canteen was quite cheap and the food was good. Overall though, it is not that hard to keep costs down and still enjoy life outside of work in London.

London is a great place to go out in. There is a huge variety of bars/clubs and other venues to go to, and lots of different events as well. The only problem is the cost which varies massively. Some places are not too bad, but others can be very very expensive. However, London is unique in the variety of things to do that it offers

There were a variety of groups and initiatives that were run by M&G. For example, you could volunteer at the Chelsea Flower Show. Furthermore, there were many events organised for and by interns such as laser quest, table tennis and the cinema. Finally, if there was something you wanted to, there were lots of people who would be keen to get involved as well.